This paper reports the use of a specialized, mesoscale, numerical weather prediction (NWP) system and a satellite imaging and prediction system that were set up to support the CLAMS (Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites) field campaign during the summer of 2001. The primary objective of CLAMS was to validate satellite-based retrievals of aerosol properties and vertical profiles of the radiative flux, temperature and water vapor. Six research aircraft were deployed to make detailed coincident measurements of the atmosphere and ocean surface with the research satellites that orbited overhead. The mesoscale weather modeling system runs in real-time to provide high spatial and temporal resolution for forecasts that are delivered via the World Wide Web along with a variety of satellite imagery and satellite location predictions. This system is a multi-purpose modeling system capable of both data analysis/assimilation and multi-scale NWP ranging from cloud-scale to larger than regional scale. This is a three-dimensional, nonhydrostatic compressible model in a terrain-following coordinate. The model employs advanced numerical techniques and contains detailed interactive physical processes. The utility of the forecasting system is illustrated throughout the discussion on the impact of the surface-wind forecast on BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) and the description of the cloud/moisture forecast versus the aircraft measurement.

Studies on satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) with POPSAT (a geodetic satellite concept) and a ERS-class (Earth observation) satellite, a Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (SST) gravity mission, and precise gravity field determination methods and mission requirements are reported. The first two studies primarily address the application of SST between the high altitude POPSAT and an ERS-class or GRM (Geopotential Research Mission) satellite to the orbit determination of the latter two satellites. Activities focussed on the determination of the tracking coverage of the lower altitude satellite by ground based tracking systems and by POPSAT, orbit determination error analysis and the determination of the surface forces acting on GRM. The third study surveys principles of SST, uncertainties of existing drag models, effects of direct luni-solar attraction and tides on orbit and the gravity gradient observable. Detailed ARISTOTELES (which replaced POPSAT) orbit determination error analyses were performed for various ground based tracking networks.

1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. NRL Satellite Support for DYNAMO Field Program Jeffrey...Jeff.Hawkins@nrlmry.navy.mil Document Number: N0001412WX20870 LONG-TERM GOALS To provide the ONR-sponsored DYNAMO field program with a...the Indian Ocean. OBJECTIVES Develop a NRL-MRY near real-time web page that enables DYNAMO field program participants to view the evolving

Satellite measurements of the geomagnetic fields began with the launch of Sputnik 3 in May of 1958 and have continued sporadically. Spacecraft making significant contributions to main field geomagnetism will be reviewed and the characteristics of their data discussed, including coverage, accuracy, resolution and data availability. Of particular interest are Vanguard 3; Cosmos 49, Ogo's -2, -4, and -6; Magsat; DE-2; and POGS. Spacecraft make measurements on a moving platfrom above the ionosphere as opposed to measurements from fixed observatories and surveys, both below the ionosphere. Possible future missions, such as Aristoteles and GOS are reviewed.

Satellite measurements of the geomagnetic fields began with the launch of Sputnik 3 in May of 1958 and have continued sporadically. Spacecraft making significant contributions to main field geomagnetism will be reviewed and the characteristics of their data discussed, including coverage, accuracy, resolution and data availability. Of particular interest are Vanguard 3; Cosmos 49, Ogo's -2, -4, and -6; Magsat; DE-2; and POGS. Spacecraft make measurements on a moving platfrom above the ionosphere as opposed to measurements from fixed observatories and surveys, both below the ionosphere. Possible future missions, such as Aristoteles and GOS are reviewed.

The vertical and transverse structures of Hongdao clam industry are described and analyzed objectively based on the perspective of industry chain. On the basis of field investigation,the key nodes of Hongdao clam industry chain,including nursery,breeding,processing,transportation and sale,are analyzed. It can be concluded that the development of clam industry chain is unbalanced,especially the deep-processing capacity is not strong,and the development of supporting industy lags behind. The horizontal industry chain of clam needs to be further improved. The corresponding suggestions are put forward: strengthening research on new nursery technology in later period,further extending the horizontal industry chain of clam,mining the depth of clam-related leisure industry,and upgrading service level of leisure travel.

In its tour of the Saturnian system, begun on July 1st, 2004, the Cassini spacecraft had many close flybys of Saturn's main satellites. However, due to impossibility to carry out simultaneously remote sensing observations and microwave tracking from ground, only a small fraction of those flybys could be exploited for gravity measurements. So far, the quadrupole field has been mapped only for Titan, Rhea and Enceladus, while for Hyperion and Iapetus the mass was the only accessible parameter. For Titan and Enceladus, the only satellites targeted more than once for gravity observations, also a rough geoid to degree and order 3 has been determined. Satellite gravity investigations rely upon accurate measurements of the spacecraft range rate, enabled by coherent, two-way radio links at X and Ka band (8.4 and 32.5 GHz). The use of hydrogen masers frequency standards at the ground station and the consid-erable suppression of plasma noise at X and Ka band frequen-cies provide range rate accuracies of 10-30 micron/s at integra-tion times of 60 s. Thanks to the higher frequency of the radio link, these measurement accuracies are in the average a factor of 10 better than those attained by Galileo in its tour of the Jovian system. However, in order to attain a reliable determination of the low degree field, good measurements must be combined with appropriate flyby geometries and adequate sampling, a condition that necessarily requires multiple flybys. We review the main results obtained so far by Cassini for Titan, Rhea and Enceladus, and discuss the methods of analysis used by the Radio Science Team.

To make full use of modern magnetic data and the paleomagnetic record, we must greatly improve our understanding of how the geodynamo system works. It is clearly nonlinear, probably chaotic, and its dimensionless parameters cannot yet be reproduced on a laboratory scale. It is accessible only to theory and to measurements made at and above the earth's surface. These measurements include essentially all geophysical types. Gravity and seismology give evidence for undulations in the core-mantle boundary (CMB) and for temperature variations in the lower mantle which can affect core convection and hence the dynamo. VLBI measurements of the variations in the Chandler wobble and length of day are affected by, among other things, the electromagnetic and mechanical transfer of angular momentum across the CMB. Finally, measurements of the vector magnetic field, its intensity, or its direction, give the most direct access to the core dynamo and the electrical conductivity of the lower mantle. The 120 gauss coefficients of degrees up to 10 probably come from the core, with only modest interference by mantle conductivity and crustal magnetization. By contrast, only three angular accelerations enter the problem of angular momentum transfer across the CMB. Satellite measurements of the vector magnetic field are uniquely able to provide the spatial coverage required for extrapolation to the CMB, and to isolate and measure certain magnetic signals which to the student of the geodynamo represent noise, but which are of great interest elsewhere in geophysics. Here, these claims are justified and the mission parameters likely to be scientifically most useful for observing the geodynamo system are described.

We report the first fully kinetic quantitative estimate of magnetic field perturbations caused by the interaction of a spacecraft with space environment. Such perturbations could affect measurements of geophysical magnetic fields made with very sensitive magnetometers on-board satellites. Our approach is illustrated with a calculation of perturbed magnetic fields near the recently launched Swarm satellites. In this case, magnetic field perturbations do not exceed 20 pT, and they are below the sensitivity threshold of the on-board magnetometers. Anticipating future missions in which satellites and instruments would be subject to more intense solar UV radiation, however, it appears that magnetic field perturbations associated with satellite interaction with space environment, might approach or exceed instruments' sensitivity thresholds.

This is a summarized paper. Two topics are discussed: Firstly, the concept, development and application of four kinds of satellite gravity surveying technology are introduced; Secondly, some problems of theory and method, which must be considered in the study of the Earth's gravity field based on satellite gravity data, are expounded.

Six years of low-orbit CHAMP satellite magnetic measurements have provided an exceptionally high-quality data resource for lithospheric magnetic field modeling and interpretation. Here we describe the fifth-generation satellite-only magnetic field model MF5. The model extends to spherical harmonic degree 100. As a result of careful data selection, extensive corrections, filtering, and line leveling, the model has low noise levels, even if evaluated at the Earth's surface. The model is particu...

The literature associated with the Magsat mission has evaluated the capabilities and limitations of satellite measurements of the earth's crustal magnetic field, and demonstrated that there exists a 300-3000 km magnetic field, related to major features in the earth's crust, which is primarily caused by induction. Due to its scale and sensitivity, satellite data have been useful in the development of models for such large crustal features as subduction zones, submarine platforms, continental accretion boundaries, and rifts. Attention is presently given to the lack of agreement between laboratory and satellite estimates of lower crustal magnetization.

The relationship between the subcellular distribution of accumulated toxic metals into five operational fractions (subsequently combined into presumed detoxified and non-detoxified components) and toxicity in the clam Scrobicularia plana was investigated under different laboratory exposures. Clams were exposed to metal contaminated media (water and diet) and analysed for the partitioning of accumulated As, Cu and Zn into subcellular fractions. In general, metallothionein-like proteins, metal-rich granules and cellular debris in different proportions acted as main storage sites of accumulated metals in the clam soft tissues for these three metals. No significant differences were noted in the accumulation rates of As, Cu and Zn of groups of individuals with or without apparent signs of toxicity after up to 30 days of exposure to naturally contaminated sediment mixtures. There was, however, an increased proportional accumulation of Cu in the non-detoxified fraction with increased Cu accumulation rate in the clams, suggesting that the Cu uptake rate from contaminated sediments exceeded the combined rates of elimination and detoxification of Cu, with the subsequent likelihood for toxic effects in the clams. - Highlights: • Scrobicularia plana accumulated As, Cu and Zn from naturally toxic sediments. • Toxic metals were accumulated in detoxified and non-detoxified components. • Cu accumulation in the non-detoxified pool increased with increased Cu uptake rate. • Cu uptake rate exceeded combined loss and detoxification rates to cause toxicity.

This study attempts to determine the patterns and/or randomness of the excurrent velocity of actively feeding clams, Mercenaria mercenaria. We hypothesize that clams alter their feeding current velocity patterns or randomness according to external cues in the environment such as hydrodynamic characteristics, density of the clam patch, and presence of predators in the upstream flow. A PIV system measured vector fields for two-dimensional planes that bisect the clam excurrent siphons, and time records were extracted at the siphon exit position. Fractal and lacunarity analysis of the jet velocity time records revealed that clams alter their jet excurrent velocity unsteadiness according to the horizontal crossflow velocity. The results also reveal that the effect of clam patch density on the feeding activity was dependent on the size of the organism. This size/density dependent relationship suggests that predation by blue crabs dominates the system since larger clams are no longer susceptible to blue crab predation, whereas clams of all sizes are susceptible to whelk predation. Finally, clams increase the randomness of their excurrent jet velocity values when predator cues are located in the upstream flume flow. This suggests that the presence of predators elicits clam behavior that promotes the mixing and dilution of their chemical metabolites.

ANSYS thermal-structural coupling technology, Parametric Design Language, life-death element technique, and double ellipsoid heat source were applied togegher in the numerical simulation of temperature and stress fields on single layer welding and the single-sided double layer welding of CLAM steel TIG weld joints. Without considering phase change and only considering the effects of residual stress field, the stress field based on temperature field data was calculated. The results of simulation with that of experiment were compared. The numerical results of residual stress distribution are almost consistent with the experimental ones. On middle section of the surface, longitudinal stress is tensile stress near the weld zone, reaches the maximum in the fusion area, and turn to compressive stress away from weld zone.The transverse stress is small tensile stress. Residual stress of single-sided double-layer welding specimen is lower than that of single layer welding specimen.%运用ANSYS的热-结构耦合技术,采用APDL参数化语言及生死单元技术,以双椭球热源作为内热源,对CLAM钢TIG焊对接单层焊和单面双层焊的温度场进行了数值模拟.在不考虑焊接温度场对材料相变影响,而仅考虑对残余应力场影响的条件下,以温度场的计算数据为依据进行应力场的计算,并将应力场的模拟结果与试验结果进行比较.分析结果表明:焊件残余应力的实测值和模拟结果中残余应力分布比较吻合;在焊件截面上表面,纵向残余应力在近缝区为拉应力,且在熔合区附近达到最大,而远离焊缝处转变为压应力;横向残余应力比较小,且均为拉应力;单面双层焊件表面残余应力比单层焊件的残余应力小.

One of the primary objectives of the future ARISTOTELES satellite mission is to map Earth's gravity field with high resolution and accuracy. In order to achieve this objective, the ARISTOTELES satellite will be equipped with a gravity gradiometer and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. Global gravity field error analyses have been performed for several combinations of gradiometer and GPS observations. These analyses indicated that the bandwidth limitation of the gradiometer prevents a stable high-accuracy, high-resolution gravity solution if no additional information is available. However, with the addition of high-accuracy GPS observations, a stable gravity field solution can be obtained. A combination of the measurements acquired by the high-quality GPS receiver and the bandwidth-limited gradiometer on board ARISTOTELES will yield a global gravity field model with a resolution of less than 100 km and with an accuracy of better than 5 mGal for gravity anomalies and 10 cm for geoid undulations.

Designers of aeronautical satellite terminals are often faced with the problem of steering a directive antenna from an airplane or helicopter. This problem is usually solved by using aircraft orientation information derived from inertial sensors on-board the aircraft in combination with satellite ephemeris information calculated from geographic coordinates. This procedure works well but relies heavily on avionics that are external to the terminal. For the majority of small aircraft and helicopters which will form the bulk of future aeronautical satcom users, such avionics either do not exist or are difficult for the satellite terminal to interface with. At the Communications Research Center (CRC), work has been undertaken to develop techniques that use the geomagnetic field and satellite antenna pointing vectors (both of which are stationary in a local geographical area) to track the position of a satellite relative to a moving platform such as an aircraft. The performance of this technique is examined and a mathematical steering transformation is developed within this paper. Details are given regarding the experimental program that will be undertaken to test the concepts proposed herein.

This viewgraph presentation reviews the Gravity Science Objectives and accomplishments of the Cassini Radio Science Team: (1) Mass and density of icy satellites (2) Quadrupole field of Titan and Rhea (3) Dynamic Love number of Titan (4) Moment of inertia of Titan (in collaboration with the Radar Team) (5) Gravity field of Saturn. The proposed measurements for the extended tour are: (1) Quadrupole field of Enceladus (2) More accurate measurement of Titan k2 (3) Local gravity/topography correlations for Iapetus (4) Verification/disproof of "Pioneer anomaly".

At the University of Texas Center for Space Research (CSR), we routinely deliver time-series of Earth's gravity field variations, some of it spanning more than two decades. These time-series are derived - in a consistent manner - from satellite laser ranging (SLR) data, from low-Earth orbiters tracked using GPS, and from low-low satellite to satellite tracking data from GRACE. In this paper, we review the information content in the gravity field time-series derived from each of these methods. We provide a comparison of the time-series at the decadal and annual time-scales, and identify the spatial modes of variability that are well or poorly estimated by each of the observing systems. The results have important bearing on the prospects of extending GRACE time-variable gravity time-series in the event of gaps between dedicated gravity missions, and for extending the time-series into the past. Support for this research from joint NASA/DLR GRACE mission, the NASA MEASURs program, and the NASA ROSES/GRACE Science Team is gratefully acknowledged.

After a brief review of the theoretical basis and difficulties that modelers are facing, we present three recent models of the geomagnetic field originating in the Earth’s core. All three modeling approaches are using recent observatory and near-Earth orbiting survey satellite data. In each case ...... only up to degree 8 or 9. For higher time derivatives of core field models, only the very first degrees are robustly derived.......After a brief review of the theoretical basis and difficulties that modelers are facing, we present three recent models of the geomagnetic field originating in the Earth’s core. All three modeling approaches are using recent observatory and near-Earth orbiting survey satellite data. In each case...... the specific aims and techniques used by the modelers are described together with a presentation of the main results achieved. The three different modeling approaches are giving similar results. For a snap shot of the core magnetic field at a given epoch and observed at the Earth’s surface, the differences...

Enceladus and Dione are the innermost moons of the Saturnian system visited by the spacecraft Cassini for gravity investigations. The small surface gravity (0.11 and 0.23 m/s2 respectively for Enceladus and Dione), the short duration of the gravitational interaction and the small number of available flybys (three for Enceladus and just one for Dione) make the determination of their gravity field particularly challenging. In spite of these limitations, we have measured the low degree gravity field of both satellites with sufficient accuracy to draw preliminary geophysical conclusions. The estimation relied primarily on precise range rate data, whose accuracy reached 10 micron/s at 60 s integration times under favorable conditions. In order to disentangle the effects of the spacecraft orbit, the satellite orbit and the satellite gravity, tracking coverage is required not only across closest approach, but also days before and after the flyby. The dynamical model used for the fits includes all relevant gravitational perturbations and the main non-gravitational accelerations (Cassini RTG's anisotropic thermal emission, solar radiation pressure). In addition to the gravity field coefficients a correction to the orbit of the spacecraft and the satellites was also estimated. The first and so far only Dione's flyby with tracking at closest approach occurred on December 12, 2011, at an altitude of 99 km. (A second gravity flyby is scheduled in 2015.) Although the low solar elongation angle caused a significant increase of the plasma noise in Doppler data, the low spacecraft altitude at closest approach and the otherwise favorable geometry allowed an estimation of the harmonic coefficients J2 and C22 to a relative accuracy below 2%. We have produced, in addition to an unconstrained estimate, a second solution where the quadrupole field is constrained by the requirement of hydrostaticity. Doppler residuals are unbiased and consistent with the expected noise in both cases. When

After a brief review of the theoretical basis and difficulties that modelers are facing, we present three recent models of the geomagnetic field originating in the Earth’s core. All three modeling approaches are using recent observatory and near-Earth orbiting survey satellite data. In each case...... the specific aims and techniques used by the modelers are described together with a presentation of the main results achieved. The three different modeling approaches are giving similar results. For a snap shot of the core magnetic field at a given epoch and observed at the Earth’s surface, the differences...... only up to degree 8 or 9. For higher time derivatives of core field models, only the very first degrees are robustly derived....

We present a new ensemble of time-dependent magnetic field models constructed from satellite and observatory data spanning 1997-2013 that are compatible with prior information concerning the temporal spectrum of core field variations. These models allow sharper field changes compared to traditional....... We report spherical harmonic spectra, comparisons to observatory monthly means, and maps of the radial field at the core-mantle boundary, from the resulting ensemble of core field models. We find that inter-annual fluctuations in the external field (for example related to high solar-driven activity...

Methods to improve gravity field models of the Earth with available data from satellite observations are proposed and discussed. In principle, all types of satellite observations mentioned give information of the satellite orbit perturbations and in conjunction the Earth's gravity field, because the satellite orbits are affected most by the Earth's gravity field. Therefore, two subjects are addressed: representation forms of the gravity field of the Earth and the theory of satellite orbit perturbations. An analytical orbit perturbation theory is presented and shown to be sufficiently accurate for describing satellite orbit perturbations if certain conditions are fulfilled. Gravity field adjustment experiments using the analytical orbit perturbation theory are discussed using real satellite observations. These observations consisted of Seasat laser range measurements and crossover differences, and of Geosat altimeter measurements and crossover differences. A look into the future, particularly relating to the ARISTOTELES (Applications and Research Involving Space Techniques for the Observation of the Earth's field from Low Earth Orbit Spacecraft) mission, is given.

In the framework of satellite-only gravity field modeling, satellite laser ranging (SLR) data is typically exploited to recover long-wavelength features. This contribution provides a detailed discussion of the SLR component of GOCO02S, the latest release of combined models within the GOCO series. Over a period of five years (January 2006 to December 2010), observations to LAGEOS-1, LAGEOS-2, Ajisai, Stella, and Starlette were analyzed. We conducted a series of closed-loop simulations and found that estimating monthly sets of spherical harmonic coefficients beyond degree five leads to exceedingly ill-posed normal equation systems. Therefore, we adopted degree five as the spectral resolution for real data analysis. We compared our monthly coefficient estimates of degree two with SLR and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) time series provided by the Center for Space Research (CSR) at Austin, Texas. Significant deviations in C20 were noted between SLR and GRACE; the agreement is better for the non-zonal coefficients. Fitting sinusoids together with a linear trend to our C20 time series yielded a rate of (-1.75 ± 0.6) × 10-11/yr; this drift is equivalent to a geoid change from pole to equator of 0.35 ± 0.12 mm/yr or an apparent Greenland mass loss of 178.5 ± 61.2 km3/yr. The mean of all monthly solutions, averaged over the five-year period, served as input for the satellite-only model GOCO02S. The contribution of SLR to the combined gravity field model is highest for C20, and hence is essential for the determination of the Earth's oblateness.

Knowledge of external inducing source field morphology is essential for precise estimation of electromagnetic (EM) induction response. A better characterization of the external source field of magnetospheric origin can be achieved by decomposing it into outer and inner magnetospheric contributions, which are best represented in Geocentric Solar Magnetospheric (GSM) and Solar Magnetic (SM) reference frames, respectively. Thus we propose a spherical harmonic (SH) model to estimate the outer magnetospheric contribution, following the iterative reweighted least squares approach, using the vector magnetic data of the CHAMP satellite. The data covers almost a complete solar cycle from July 2001 to September 2010, spanning 54,474 orbits. The SH model, developed using orbit-averaged vector magnetic data, reveals the existence of a stable outer magnetospheric contribution of about 7.39 nT. This stable field was removed from the CHAMP data after transforming to SM frame. The residual field in the SM frame acts as a primary source for induction in the Earth. The analysis of this time-series using wavelet transformation showed a dominant 27-day periodicity of the geomagnetic field. Therefore, we calculated the inductive EM -response function in a least squares sense considering the 27-day period variation as the inducing signal. From the estimated -response, we have determined that the global depth to the perfect substitute conductor is about 1132 km and its conductivity is around 1.05 S/m.

Perkinsosis is one of the most widespread diseases affecting commercially important species of molluscs globally. We examined the impact of Perkinsus spp. on shell growth at the individual scale in 2 clam species: Ruditapes decussatus from Mundaka Estuary (Spain) and R. philippinarum from Arcachon Bay (France). At Arcachon, 2 contrasting sites in terms of environment and Perkinsus olseni presence were chosen: Arguin (disease-free) and Ile aux Oiseaux (infected site). We monitored the dynamics of perkinsosis over the course of the experiment at Mundaka and Ile aux Oiseaux. Prevalences were high (>70%), and intensities were around 105 cells g-1 wet gills at Ile aux Oiseaux, and 106 cells g-1 at Mundaka. No significant differences in prevalence or intensity were observed over time. A 2 yr field growth experiment of tagged-recaptured clams was performed to determine individual clam growth rate, condition index (CI), and Perkinsus spp. infection intensity. Clams were collected at Ile aux Oiseaux and transplanted to Arguin. The growth rate was always significantly and negatively correlated with Perkinsus spp. infection, and positively correlated with CI. CI and Perkinsus spp. infection explained 19% and 7% of the variability of the growth rate at Mundaka and Ile aux Oiseaux, respectively. In experimental clams at Arguin, P. olseni infection explained 26% of the variability of the growth rate at the lower tidal level. Our results suggest that at a concentration of between 105 and 106 cells g-1, perkinsosis affects the physiological functions of the clams, highlighted by its impact on the growth rate.

Human sapovirus was detected in 4 of 57 clam packages by reverse transcription-PCR and sequence analysis. This represents the first finding of sapovirus contamination in food. Closely matching sequences have been detected in stool specimens from patients with gastroenteritis in Japan, which indicates a possible food-to-human transmission link.

On July 22, 2011 and in the active region NOAA 11259 there ap- peared the event of the ejection of solar atmospheric Hα surges. According to the full-disc Hα observations of the Big Bear Solar Observatory in United States, three consecutive surges at one and the same place in the north of the main spot of the active region were discovered. The trajectories of these three surges exhib- ited the figure of straight lines, and their integral configuration is like an inverted Eiffel Tower. The first two surges are quite similar, and in each of them there appeared two bright points in the northern part of the main spot. After several minutes, the surges appeared in the midst of bright points. When the bright- ness of the bright points attained the maximum value, the surges spouted out from the midst of bright points. And after reaching the maximum altitude, they quickly vanished. Before the ejection of the third surge took place, no bright points appeared. Besides, its maximal altitude is merely one half of that of the first two surges. Via a comparison with the SDO/HMI (Solar Dynamics Obser- vatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager) data of radial magnetic fields, it is found that in more than one hour before the appearance of the first surge there emerged bipolar magnetic fields in the region of ejection. Besides, in several min- utes before the ejection of each Hα surge the magnetic fluxes of positive polarity diminished. Via our analysis it is found that there appeared reconnections be- tween the newly emerging satellite magnetic fields and the preexisting magnetic fields in the spot, and this caused the continuous ejections of Hα surges.

This study aimed to evaluate the potential impacts of an introduced clam Mercenaria mercenaria on estuarine ecosystem, and implications for the niche competition with a native clam Meretrix meretrix. The biodeposition, respiration, and excretion rates of M. mercenaria were determined seasonally using a sediment trap and a closed respirator in field. The biodeposition rates of M. mercenaria were 0.06-0.37 g/ (ind.·d), and the respiration rates were 0.31-14.66 mg/(ind.·d). The ammonia and phosphate excretion rates were 0.18-36.70 and 1.44-14.87 μg/(ind.·d), respectively. The hard clam M. mercenaria may discharge dry deposits up to 2.1×105 t, contribute 18.3 t ammonia and 9.0 t phosphate to culture ponds, and consume 7.9×103 t O2 from ponds annually. It suggested that the hard clam M. mercenaria might play an important role in pelagic-benthic coupling in pond ecosystem through biodeposition and excretion. A comparison of the key physiological parameters of the introduced clam M. mercenaria and the native clam Meretrix meretrix suggested that M. mercenaria had a niche similar to that of Meretrix meretrix in Shuangtaizi estuary and might have a potential competition with Meretrix meretrix for habitat and food if M. mercenaria species escaped from the culture pond or artificially released in estuarine ecosystem.

The SELENE mission, consisting of three separate satellites that use different terrestrial-based tracking systems, presents a unique opportunity to evaluate the contribution of these tracking systems to orbit determination precision. The tracking data consist of four-way Doppler between the main orbiter and one of the two sub-satellites while the former is over the far side, and of same-beam differential VLBI tracking between the two sub-satellites. Laser altimeter data are also used for orbit determination. The contribution to orbit precision of these different data types is investigated through orbit overlap analysis. It is shown that using four-way and VLBI data improves orbit consistency for all satellites involved by reducing peak values in orbit overlap differences that exist when only standard two-way Doppler and range data are used. Including laser altimeter data improves the orbit precision of the SELENE main satellite further, resulting in very smooth total orbit errors at an average level of 18m. The multi-satellite data have also resulted in improved lunar gravity field models, which are assessed through orbit overlap analysis using Lunar Prospector tracking data. Improvements over a pre-SELENE model are shown to be mostly in the along-track and cross-track directions. Orbit overlap differences are at a level between 13 and 21 m with the SELENE models, depending on whether l-day data overlaps or I-day predictions are used.

The first information on the Earth's gravitational field from artificial satellite observations was published in 1958. The next years have seen a dramatic improvement in the resolution and accuracy of the series representation of the Earth's gravity field. The improvements have taken place slowly taking advantage of improved measurement accuracy and the increasing number of satellites. The proposed ARISTOTELES mission would provide the opportunity to take a significant leap in improving our knowledge of the Earth's gravity field.

This is a summarized paper.Two topics are discussed:Firstly,the comcept,development and application of four kinds of satellite gravity surveying technology are introduced；Secondly,some problems of theory and method,which must be considered in the study lf the Earth's gravity field based on satellite gravity data,are expounded.

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Razor clams are often exposed to coastal eutrophication. • The bioaccumulation of Fe, Ni, V, and As was promoted by eutrophication. • Bionic gastrointestinal tract was used for metal oral bioavailability assessment. • Eutrophication decreased oral bioavailability of Fe and Pb but enhanced for V. • The daily maximum allowable intakes are controlled by eutrophication levels. - Abstract: As traditional seafoods, the razor clams are widely distributed from tropical to temperate areas. Coastal razor clams are often exposed to eutrophication. Heavy metal contamination is critical for seafood safety. However, how eutrophication affects bioaccumulation and oral bioavailability of heavy metals in the razor clams is unknown. After a four-month field experimental cultivation, heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Ni, V, As, and Pb) could be bioaccumulated by the razor clams (Sinonovacula constricta) through exposure to metals present in water and sediments or in the food chain, and then transferred to human via consumption of razor clams. Bionic gastrointestinal digestion and monolayer liposome extraction are used for metal oral bioavailability (OBA) assessment. The influence of eutrophication on OBA is decreased for Fe and Pb and increased for V. A significant positive linear correlation was observed between the bioaccumulation factors of Fe, Ni, V, and As in razor clams and the coastal eutrophication. These results may be due to the effect of eutrophication on metal species transformation in coastal seawater and subcellular distribution in razor clams. The maximum allowable daily intakes of razor clams are controlled by eutrophication status and the concentration of affinity-liposome As in razor clams.

Full Text Available The article deals with the problem of changing the polarity of the geomagnetic field in the satellite model. It is assumed that the central core of the earth magnetized and surrounded by a number of satellites, each of which has a magnetic moment. Satellites interact with a central core and one another by means of gravity and through a magnetic field. It is shown that satellites distributed in orbit around a central core in such a system. It displays two models, one of which on the outer orbit satellites interact with each other and with a central body - the core and satellites, located on the inner orbit. The central body can make sudden upheavals in the fall at the core of one or more satellites, which leads to the excitation of vibrations in the satellite system, located on the outer orbit. It is shown that the duration of phase with constant polarity and upheaval time depends on the magnitude of the disturbance torque and core asymmetry. The second model contains two magnets subsystems and the central core. The rapid change of the geomagnetic field polarity detected on the basis of paleomagnetic data is modeled based on the Euler theory describing the rigid body rotation. In this model, there are modes with a quick flip of the body while maintaining the angular momentum. If the body has a magnetic moment, when there is a change coup magnetic field polarity. This leads to the excitation of vibrations in the satellite subsystems that are on the inner and outer orbits. Numerical simulation of the dynamics of the system consisting of the core and 10-13 satellites was run to determine the period of constant polarity magnetic field

, sensors, actuators and environmental disturbances to the required micro-Newton accuracy. A control system is designed to compensate the non-gravitational disturbances on the satellite in three axes using an H∞-design. Performance is validated against mission requirements. Keywords: Spacecraft Attitude......High precision mapping of the geoid and the Earth's gravity field are of importance to a wide range of ongoing studies in areas like ocean circulation, solid Earth physics and ice sheet dynamics. Using a satellite in orbit around the Earth gives the opportunity to map the Earth's gravity field in 3...... dimensions with much better accuracy and spatial resolution than ever accomplished. To reach the desired quality of measurements, the satellite must fly in a low Earth orbit where disturbances from atmospheric drag and the Earth's magnetic field will perturb the satellite's motion. These effects...

The bipolar electric field solitary (EFS) structures observed frequently in space plasmas by satellites have two different polarities, first positive electric field peak then negative (i.e., positive/negative) and first negative then positive peak (i.e., negative/positive). We provide the physical explanation on the polarity of observed bipolar EFS structures with an electrostatic ion fluid model. The results show that ii initial electric field E0 ＞ 0, the polarity of the bipolar EFS structure will be positive/negative; and if E0 ＜ 0, the polarity of the bipolar EFS structure will be negative/positive. However, for a fixed polarity of the EFS, either positive/negative or negative/positive, if the satellite is located at the positive side of the EFS, the observed polarity should be positive/negative, if the satellite is located at the negative side of the EFS, the observed polarity should be negative/positive. Therefore, we provide a method to clarify the natural polarity of the EFS with observed polarity by satellites. Our results are significant to understand the physical process in space plasma with the satellite observation.%@@ The bipolar electric field solitary (EFS) structures observed frequently in space plasmas by satellites have two different polarities, first positive electric Held peak then negative (i.e., positive/negative) and first negative then positive peak (i.e., negative/positive).We provide the physical explanation on the polarity of observed bipolar EFS structures with an electrostatic ion fluid model.

The Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) has been identified as an indicator species for locating and monitoring contaminated groundwater in the Columbia River. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted a field study to explore the use of caged Asiatic clams to monitor contaminated groundwater upwelling in the 300 Area near-shore environment and assess seasonal differences in uranium uptake in relation to seasonal flow regimes of the Columbia River. Additional objectives included examining the potential effects of uranium accumulation on growth, survival, and tissue condition of the clams. This report documents the field conditions and procedures, laboratory procedures, and statistical analyses used in collecting samples and processing the data. Detailed results are presented and illustrated, followed by a discussion comparing uranium concentrations in Asiatic clams collected at the 300 Area and describing the relationship between river discharge, groundwater indicators, and uranium in clams. Growth and survival, histology, and other sources of environmental variation also are discussed.

Spectral analysis of data noise is performed in the context of gravity field recovery from inter-satellite ranging measurements acquired by the satellite gravimetry mission GRACE. The motivation of the study is two-fold: (i) to promote a further improvement of GRACE data processing techniques and

The history of research in the Earth's gravity field from satellite geodesy is described and limitations of existing geopotential models are indicated. Although current solutions have made outstanding achievements, their limited accuracy restricts their use for some oceanographic applications. An example is discussed where there appears to be an incompatibility of the long wavelength geoid undulation obtained through satellite analysis with independent estimates that have become available. The future Aristoteles mission is seen as providing a significant leap in Earth gravity field knowledge improvement.

Food security will be challenged over the upcoming decades due to increased food demand, natural resource degradation, and climate change. In order to identify potential solutions to increase food security in the face of these changes, tools that can rapidly and accurately assess farm productivity are needed. With this aim, we have developed generalizable methods to map crop yields at the field scale using a combination of satellite imagery and crop models, and implement this approach within Google Earth Engine. We use these methods to examine wheat yield trends in Northern India, which provides over 15% of the global wheat supply and where over 80% of farmers rely on wheat as a staple food source. In addition, we identify the extent to which farmers are shifting sow date in response to heat stress, and how well shifting sow date reduces the negative impacts of heat stress on yield. To identify local-level decision-making, we map wheat sow date and yield at a high spatial resolution (30 m) using Landsat satellite imagery from 1980 to the present. This unique dataset allows us to examine sow date decisions at the field scale over 30 years, and by relating these decisions to weather experienced over the same time period, we can identify how farmers learn and adapt cropping decisions based on weather through time.

The Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration's Clam Trail is an award-winning scavenger hunt that combines science education, public art, and tourism. This family adventure has participants seeking out giant painted fiberglass clams, upweller clam nurseries, and points of interest in search of science facts to record on their forms. Upon returning these…

This paper attempts to detect soil salinity from satellite image analysis using remote sensing and geographic information system. Salinity intrusion is a common problem for the coastal regions of the world. Traditional salinity detection techniques by field survey and sampling are time-consuming and expensive. Remote sensing and geographic information system offer economic and efficient salinity detection, monitoring, and mapping. To predict soil salinity, an integrated approach of salinity indices and field data was used to develop a multiple regression equation. The correlations between different indices and field data of soil salinity were calculated to find out the highly correlated indices. The best regression model was selected considering the high R (2) value, low P value, and low Akaike's Information Criterion. About 20% variation was observed between the field data and predicted EC from the satellite image analysis. The precision of this salinity detection technique depends on the accuracy and uniform distribution of field data.

More than 2 years of magnetic field data taken by the three-satellite constellation mission Swarm are used to derive a model of Earth's magnetic field and its time variation. This model is called SIFMplus. In addition to the magnetic field observations provided by each of the three Swarm satellites, explicit advantage is taken of the constellation aspect of Swarm by including East-West magnetic intensity and vector field gradient information from the lower satellite pair. Along-track differences of the magnetic intensity as well as of the vector components provide further information concerning the North-South gradient. The SIFMplus model provides a description of the static lithospheric field that is very similar to models determined from CHAMP data, up to at least spherical harmonic degree n=75. Also the core field part of SIFMplus, with a quadratic time dependence for n ≤ 6 and a linear time dependence for n=7-15, demonstrates the possibility to determine high-quality field models from only 2 years of Swarm data, thanks to the unique constellation aspect of Swarm. To account for the magnetic signature caused by ionospheric electric currents at polar latitudes we co-estimate, together with the model of the core, lithospheric and large-scale magnetospheric fields, a magnetic potential that depends on quasi-dipole latitude and magnetic local time.

The software specifications for the MAGSAT data processing system (MDPS) are presented. The MDPS is divided functionally into preprocessing of primary input data, data management, chronicle processing, and postprocessing. Data organization and validity, and checks of spacecraft and instrumentation are dicussed. Output products of the MDPS, including various plots and data tapes, are described. Formats for important tapes are presented. Dicussions and mathematical formulations for coordinate transformations and field model coefficients are included.

A literature survey, interviews with acknowledged experts in the fields of organizational entities, space, solar energy, and the SPS concept, and an analysis of these inputs to identify the organizational alternatives and make judgments as to their feasibility to serve as patterns for a future SPS entity are presented. Selection and evaluation criteria were determined to include timeliness, reliability, and adequacy to contribute meaningfully to the U.S. supply; political feasibility (both national and international) and cost-effectiveness (including environmental and other external costs). Based on these criteria, four organizational alternatives are discussed which offer reasonable promise as potential options for SPS. These included three domestic alternatives and one international alternative.

Two years of data from ESA's Swarm constellation mission are used to derive a model of the Earth's magnetic field and its time variation (secular variation). The model describes contributions from the core and lithosphere as well as large-scale contributions from the magnetosphere (and its Earth-induced counterpart). We use data from geomagnetic quiet times and co-estimate the Euler angles describing the rotation between the vector magnetometer instrument frame and the North-East-Center (NEC) frame. In addition to the magnetic field observations provided by each of the three Swarm satellites and alongtrack first differences we include the East-west magnetic gradient information provided by the lower Swarm satellite pair, thereby explicitly taking advantage of the constellation aspect of Swarm. We assess the spatial and temporal model resolution that can be obtained from two years of Swarm satellite data by comparison with other recent models that also include non-Swarm magnetic observations.

Full Text Available We present a new semi-analytical model of the population of satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, aimed at estimating the effect of the geometry of reionization at galaxy scale on the properties of the satellites. In this model reionization can be either: (A externally-driven and uniform, or (B internally-driven, by the most massive progenitor of the Milky Way. In the latter scenario the propagation of the ionisation front and photon dilution introduce a delay in the photo-evaporation of the outer satellites’ gas with respect to the inner satellites. As a consequence, outer satellites experience a longer period of star formation than those in the inner halo. We use simple models to account for star formation, the propagation of the ionisation front, photo-evaporation and observational biases. Both scenarios yield a model satellite population that matches the observed luminosity function and mass-to-light ratios. However, the predicted population for scenario (B is significantly more extended spatially than for scenario (A, by about 0.3 dex in distance, resulting in a much better match to the observations. The survival of the signature left by the local UV field during reionization on the radial distribution of satellites makes it a promising tool for studying the reionization epoch at galaxy scale in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies resolved in stars with forthcoming large surveys.

We show for the first time, with direct, multispacecraft calculations of electric current density, and other methods, matched signatures of field-aligned currents (FACs) sampled simultaneously near the ionosphere at low (∼500km altitude) orbit and in the magnetosphere at medium (similar to 2.5 RE...... find clear evidence of both small-scale and large-scale FACs and clear matching of the behavior and structure of the large-scale currents at both Cluster and Swarm. The methodology is made possible through the joint operations of Cluster and Swarm, which contain, in the first several months of Swarm...... operations, a number of close three-spacecraft configurations....

We present a technique for modelling the lithospheric magnetic field based on estimation of equivalent potential field sources. As a first demonstration we present an application to magnetic field measurements made by the CHAMP satellite during the period 2009-2010. Three component vector field data are utilized at all latitudes. Estimates of core and large-scale magnetospheric sources are removed from the satellite measurements using the CHAOS-4 model. Quiet-time and night-side data selection criteria are also employed to minimize the influence of the ionospheric field. The model for the remaining lithospheric magnetic field consists of magnetic point sources (monopoles) arranged in an icosahedron grid with an increasing grid resolution towards the airborne survey area. The corresponding source values are estimated using an iteratively reweighted least squares algorithm that includes model regularization (either quadratic or maximum entropy) and Huber weighting. Data error covariance matrices are implemented, accounting for the dependence of data error variances on quasi-dipole latitudes. Results show good consistency with the CM5 and MF7 models for spherical harmonic degrees up to n = 95. Advantages of the equivalent source method include its local nature and the ease of transforming to spherical harmonics when needed. The method can also be applied in local, high resolution, investigations of the lithospheric magnetic field, for example where suitable aeromagnetic data is available. To illustrate this possibility, we present preliminary results from a case study combining satellite measurements and local airborne scalar magnetic measurements of the Norwegian coastline.

Satellite radar altimetry has been monitoring the earth's oceans from space for several decades. However, only the GEOSAT and ERS-1 geodetic mission data recorded more than a decade ago provide altimetry with adequate spatial coverage to derive a high-resolution marine gravity field. The original...

We develop and apply an efficient strategy for Earth gravity field recovery from satellite gravity gradiometry data. Our approach is based upon the Paige-Saunders iterative least-squares method using QR decomposition (LSQR). We modify the original algorithm for space-geodetic applications: firstly,

A fast iterative method for gravity field determination from low Earth satellite orbit coordinates has been developed and implemented successfully. The method is based on energy conservation and avoids problems related to orbit dynamics and initial state. In addition, the particular geometry of a re

Full Text Available The comparison of satellite and model aerosol optical depth (AOD fields provides useful information on the strengths and weaknesses of both. However, the sampling of satellite and models is very different and some subjective decisions about data selection and aggregation must be made in order to perform such comparisons. This work examines some implications of these decisions, using GlobAerosol AOD retrievals at 550 nm from Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR measurements, and aerosol fields from the GEOS-Chem chemistry transport model. It is recommended to sample the model only where the satellite flies over on a particular day; neglecting this can cause regional differences in model AOD of up to 0.1 on monthly and annual timescales. The comparison is observed to depend strongly upon thresholds for sparsity of satellite retrievals in the model grid cells. Requiring at least 25% coverage of the model grid cell by satellite data decreases the observed difference between the two by approximately half over land. The impact over ocean is smaller. In both model and satellite datasets, there is an anticorrelation between the proportion p of a model grid cell covered by satellite retrievals and the AOD. This is attributed to small p typically occuring due to high cloud cover and lower AODs being found in large clear-sky regions. Daily median AATSR AODs were found to be closer to GEOS-Chem AODs than daily means (with the root mean squared difference being approximately 0.05 smaller. This is due to the decreased sensitivity of medians to outliers such as cloud-contaminated retrievals, or aerosol point sources not included in the model.

The CHAMP magnetic field mission is providing highly reliable measurements from which the global lithospheric magnetic field can be determined in unprecedented resolution and accuracy. Using almost 5 yr of data, we derive our fourth generation lithospheric field model termed MF4, which is expanded...... to spherical harmonic degree and order 90. After subtracting from the full magnetic field observations predicted fields from an internal field model up to degree 15, an external field model up to degree two, and the predicted magnetic field signatures for the eight dominant ocean tidal constituents, we fit...... of the lithospheric field down to an altitude of about 50 km at lower latitudes, with reduced accuracy in the polar regions. Crustal features come out significantly sharper than in previous models. In particular, bands of magnetic anomalies along subduction zones become visible by satellite for the first time....

Satellite magnetic anomaly maps derived by different techniques from Magsat/POGO data vary by more than a factor of 2 in the deduced strength of the lithospheric magnetic field. Here, we present a first anomaly map from new CHAMP scalar magnetic field data. After subtracting a recent Ørsted main...... and external field model, we remove remaining unmodeled large-scale external contributions from 120 track segments by subtracting a best-fitting uniform field. In order to preserve N/S trending features, the data are not filtered along-track. Direct integration of the spherically gridded data yields the final...

Planetary crustal magnetic fields are key to understanding a planet or moon's structure and history. Due to satellite orbit parameters such as aerobraking (Mars) or only partial coverage (Mercury), or simply because of the strongly heterogeneous crustal field strength, satellite data of planetary magnetic fields vary regionally in their signal-to noise ratio and data coverage. To take full advantage of data quality within one region of a planet or moon without diluting the data with lower quality measurements outside of that region we resort to local methods. Slepian functions are linear combinations of spherical harmonics that provide local sensitivity to structure. Here we present a selection of crustal magnetic field models obtained from vector-valued variable-altitude satellite observations using an altitude-cognizant gradient-vector Slepian approach. This method is based on locally maximizing energy concentration within the region of data availability while simultaneously bandlimiting the model in terms of its spherical-harmonic degree and minimizing noise amplification due to downward continuation. For simple regions such as spherical caps, our method is computationally efficient and allows us to calculate local crustal magnetic field solutions beyond spherical harmonic degree 800, if the data permit. We furthermore discuss extensions of the method that are optimized for the analysis and separation of internal and external magnetic fields.

In the last few decades a series of increasingly sophisticated satellite missions has brought us gravity and magnetometry data of ever improving quality. To make optimal use of this rich source of information on the structure of Earth and other celestial bodies, our computational algorithms should be well matched to the specific properties of the data. In particular, inversion methods require specialized adaptation if the data are only locally available, their quality varies spatially, or if we are interested in model recovery only for a specific spatial region. Here, we present two approaches to estimate potential fields on a spherical Earth, from gradient data collected at satellite altitude. Our context is that of the estimation of the gravitational or magnetic potential from vector-valued measurements. Both of our approaches utilize spherical Slepian functions to produce an approximation of local data at satellite altitude, which is subsequently transformed to the Earth's spherical reference surface. The ...

Over the past 150 years, the axial dipole component of the Earth's magnetic field has decayed by nearly 10%. This is ten times faster than if the dynamo that generates the field were switched off completely. The current decay rate is characteristic of magnetic reversals, which paleomagnetic data sets have shown occur on average about once every half million years. Three new geomagnetic fieldsatellites have recently been placed in low-earth orbits and are investigating questions such as this rapid decay. Geographically, this decay is largely due to changes in the field in the South Atlantic region, where the expanding and deepening South Atlantic anomaly has serious implications for low-Earth orbit satellite operations. The magnetic field measured at or near the surface of the Earth is the superposition of contributions from a variety of sources: the fluid core,the magnetization of rocks in the Earth's crust, electric currents flowing in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, currents induced in the Earth by the time variations of the field, and electric currents induced by the oceanic circulation. The scientific challenge is the sophisticated separation of these various sources and the accurate determination of the spatial and temporal structure of them all. Multi-point measurements from high-precision satellites are a pre-requisite for such characterizations. With the launch of Oersted (1999), CHAMP and the Oersted-2 experiment onboard SAC-C (2000), there are now three satellites in near-Earth orbit measuring the scalar and vector magnetic fields at the nT accuracy level. In order to improve the utilization of these unique data sets, representatives of these projects publicly released simultaneous observations of data from all three satellites at www.dsri.dk/multimagsatellites. The data selection spanned a variety of viewing geometries, local times, and magnetic disturbance levels. Descriptive models and indices were also included. Presentations described the utility

The monitoring of the Earth's magnetic field time variation requires a continuous recording of geomagnetic data with a good spatial coverage over the area of study. In southern Africa, ground recording stations are limited and the use of satellite data is needed for the studies where high spatial resolution data is required. We show the fast time variation of the geomagnetic field in the southern Africa region by deriving an harmonic spline model from CHAMP satellite measurements recorded between 2001 and 2010. The derived core field model, the Southern Africa Regional Model (SARM), is compared with the global model GRIMM-2 and the ground based data recorded at Hermanus magnetic observatory (HER) in South Africa and Tsumeb magnetic observatory (TSU) in Namibia where the focus is mainly on the long term variation of the geomagnetic field. The results of this study suggest that the regional model derived from the satellite data alone can be used to study the small scale features of the time variation of the geomagnetic field where ground data is not available. In addition, these results also support the earlier findings of the occurrence of a 2007 magnetic jerk and rapid secular variation fluctuations of 2003 and 2004 in the region.

Increasingly, spacecraft are installed with large-area structures that are extended and deployed post-launch. These extensible structures have been applied in several missions for power generation, thermal radiation, and solar propulsion. Here, we propose a deployment and retraction method using the electromagnetic force generated when the geomagnetic field interacts with electric current flowing on extensible panels. The panels are installed on a satellite in low Earth orbit. Specifically, electrical wires placed on the extensible panels generate magnetic moments, which interfere with the geomagnetic field. The resulting repulsive and retraction forces enable panel deployment and retraction. In the proposed method, a satellite realizes structural deployment using simple electrical wires. Furthermore, the satellite can achieve not only deployment but also retraction for avoiding damage from space debris and for agile attitude maneuvers. Moreover, because the proposed method realizes quasi-static deployment and the retraction of panels by electromagnetic forces, low impulsive force is exerted on fragile panels. The electrical wires can also be used to detect the panel deployment and retraction and generate a large magnetic moment for attitude control. The proposed method was assessed in numerical simulations based on multibody dynamics. Simulation results shows that a small cubic satellite with a wire current of 25 AT deployed 4 panels (20 cm × 20 cm) in 500 s and retracted 4 panels in 100 s.

Initial DC electric field observations and associated plasma drifts are presented from the Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite. We present statistical averages of the vector fields for the first year of operations that include both the zonal and radial components of the resulting E x B plasma flows at low latitudes. Magnetic field data from the VEFI science magnetometer are used to compute the plasma flows. The DC electric field detector reveals zonal and radial electric fields that undergo strong diurnal variations, typically displaying eastward and outward-directed fields during the day and westward and downward-directed fields at night. There is considerable variation in the large scale DC electric field data, in both the daytime and nighttime cases, with enhanced structures typically observed at night. In general, the measured zonal DC electric field amplitudes include excursions that extend within the 0.4 - 2 m V/m range, corresponding to E x B drifts of the order of 30-150 m/s. The average vertical or radial electric fields may exceed the zonal fields in amplitude by a factor of 1.5 to 2. Although the data compare well, in a general sense, with previous satellite observations and statistical patterns of vertical ion drifts, the E x B drifts we report from C/NOFS rarely show a pronounced pre-reversal enhancement after sunset. We attribute this to a combination of extreme solar minimum conditions and the fact that the C/NOFS orbit of 401 by 867 km carries the probes essentially above the lower altitude regions where the wind-driven dynamo might be expected to create enhanced upwards drifts in the early evening. Evidence for wavenumber 4 tidal effects and other longitudinal signatures have been detected and will be presented. We also discuss off-equatorial electric fields and their relation to the ambient plasma density.

During recent years altimetry from the two geodetic missions of GEOSAT and ERS-1 has enabled the derivation of high resolution near global gravity field from altimetry [Andersen and Knudsen, 1995, 1996; Sandwell and Smith, 1997]. Altimetric gravity fields are unique in the sense that they provide...... global uniform gravity information with very high resolution, and these global marine gravity fields are registered on a two by two minute grid corresponding to 4 by 4 kilometres at the equator. In this presentation several coastal complications in deriving the marine gravity field from satellite...... altimetry will be investigated using the KMS98 gravity field. Comparison with other sources of gravity field information like airborne and marine gravity observations will be carried out and two fundamentally different test areas (Azores and Skagerak) will be studied to investigated the different role...

for the remaining lithospheric magnetic field consists of magnetic point sources (monopoles) arranged in an icosahedron grid with an increasing grid resolution towards the airborne survey area. The corresponding source values are estimated using an iteratively reweighted least squares algorithm that includes model......We present a technique for modelling the lithospheric magnetic field based on estimation of equivalent potential field sources. As a first demonstration we present an application to magnetic field measurements made by the CHAMP satellite during the period 2009-2010. Three component vector field....... Advantages of the equivalent source method include its local nature and the ease of transforming to spherical harmonics when needed. The method can also be applied in local, high resolution, investigations of the lithospheric magnetic field, for example where suitable aeromagnetic data is available...

The time-wise and space-wise approaches are generally applied to data processing and error analysis for satellite gravimetry missions. But both the approaches, which are based on least-squares collocation, address the whole effect of measurement errors and estimate the resolution of gravity field models mainly from a numerical point of indirect view. Moreover, requirement for higher accuracy and resolution gravity field models could make the computation more difficult, and serious numerical instabilities arise. In order to overcome the problems, this study focuses on constructing a direct relationship between power spectral density of the satellite gravimetry measurements and coefficients of the Earth's gravity potential. Based on two-dimensional Fourier transform, the relationship is analytically concluded. By taking advantage of the analytical expression, it is efficient and distinct for parameter estimation and error analysis of missions. From the relationship and the simulations, it is analytically confir...

Summary of an extensive correlative study of ATS-5 particle and magnetic field data with all-sky photographs from Great Whale River which is near the 'foot' of the field lines passing through the ATS-5 satellite. In particular, an effort is made to identify specific particle features with specific auroral displays during substorms, such as a westward traveling surge, poleward expansive motion, and drifting patches. It is found that, in early evening hours, the first encounter of ATS-5 with hot plasma is associated with the equatorward shift of the diffuse aurora, but not necessarily with westward traveling surges (even when the satellite is embedded in the plasma sheet). In the midnight sector, an injection corresponds very well to the initial brightening of an auroral arc. Specific features of morning sector auroras are difficult to correlate with specific particle features.

More than two year of data from ESA's Swarm constellation mission are used to derive a model of the Earth’s magnetic field and its time variation (secular variation). The model describes contributions from the core and lithosphere as well as large-scale contributions from the magnetosphere (and its...... Earth-induced counterpart). We use data from geomagnetic quiet times and co-estimate the Euler angles describing the rotation between the vector magnetometer instrument frame and the North-East-Center (NEC) frame. In addition to the magnetic field observations provided by each of the three Swarm...... satellites and alongtrack first differences we include the East-west magnetic gradient information provided by the lower Swarm satellite pair, thereby explicitly taking advantage of the constellation aspect of Swarm. We assess the spatial and temporal model resolution that can be obtained from two years...

In Bangladesh, price of rice has been unstable due to a large increase in production. To control the price can become a political issue, because rice agriculture is one of the most important industries in Bangladesh, whereas the total area of the paddy field is accurately unknown, owing to unsustainable and on-site surveys for the area (1). Satellite remote sensing is an effective solution to research the all area of domestic paddy field. Microwave satellite imaging has a large merit to be observable regardless of the weather conditions, however, research institutions have been limited to observing continuously since the cost is high for developing countries, such as Bangladesh. This study aims to establish the way to grasp the paddy field using optical satellite images for free of charge (Landsat-8). We have focused on seasonal changes in the water and the vegetation indices obtained from paddy fields. We have performed image calculations of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) of the well-known paddy field in Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. We found that there are seasonal changes of NDVI and NDWI calculated from paddy field. The characteristics are as follows; the NDVI and the NDWI values varies by 0.17-0.25 up and 0.11-0.19 down, respectively, at the transition from the dry to the rainy season, on the other hand, the NDVI and the NDWI changes by 0.21-0.29 down and 0.09-0.17 up from the rainy to the dry season. These features make us to distinguish the paddy field from the other cultivated area. The decrease of NDVI means that rice bares, The increase of NDWI can be interpreted that the paddy field is covered with water for the preparation for planting it. Our estimated area of paddy field in Bangladesh (85,900km ) corresponds well with the previous reported value of 117,700km (1). We have established the way to grasp the paddy field using optical satellite images for free of charge, on the bases of the

During the Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites (CLAMS) Experiment Nuclepore filters were collected in two ground stations and aboard the University of Wasghington's Convair 580 Reserarch Aircraft. The two ground stations were chosen in strategic positions to characterize the chemical composition, the mass concentration, black carbon (BC) content, and the absorption properties of the aerosol particles at the surface level. One of the stations was located at the Cheasapeake lighthouse (25 km from the coast) and the other one was located at the Wallops Island. Aerosol particles where collected in two stages, fine (d2.5um) and coarse mode (2.5CLAMS Experiment area. Some of the filters were also submitted to Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis. The particulate matter mass for all the samples were obtained gravimetrically. The concentration of black carbon in the fine filters was optically determined by a broadband reflectance technique. The spectral (from UV to near IR) reflectance in the fine and coarse mode filter were also obtained with a FieldSpec ASD spectrometer. Aerosol elemental characterization (Na through Pb) was obtained by the PIXE (Particle induced X ray emission) analyses of the nuclepore filters. The sources of the aerosol measured at the ground stations were estimated by principal component analyses mainly in the Wallops Island, where a longer time series was collected. One of the main urban components identified in the aerosol during the experiment was sulfate. Black carbon

An observational trial was conducted in the South Island of New Zealand from 24 to 28 February 2015, as a collaborative effort between the United Kingdom and New Zealand in the area of space situational awareness. The aim of the trial was to observe a number of satellites in low Earth orbit using wide-field imaging from two separate locations, in order to determine the space trajectory and compare the measurements with the predictions based on the standard two-line elements. This activity was an initial step in building a space situational awareness capability at the Defence Technology Agency of the New Zealand Defence Force. New Zealand has an important strategic position as the last land mass that many satellites selected for deorbiting pass before entering the Earth's atmosphere over the dedicated disposal area in the South Pacific. A preliminary analysis of the trial data has demonstrated that relatively inexpensive equipment can be used to successfully detect satellites at moderate altitudes. A total of 60 satellite passes were observed over the five nights of observation and about 2600 images were collected. A combination of cooled CCD and standard DSLR cameras were used, with a selection of lenses between 17 mm and 50 mm in focal length, covering a relatively wide field of view of 25 to 60 degrees. The CCD cameras were equipped with custom-made GPS modules to record the time of exposure with a high accuracy of one millisecond, or better. Specialised software has been developed for automated astrometric analysis of the trial data. The astrometric solution is obtained as a two-dimensional least-squares polynomial fit to the measured pixel positions of a large number of stars (typically 1000) detected across the image. The star identification is fully automated and works well for all camera-lens combinations used in the trial. A moderate polynomial degree of 3 to 5 is selected to take into account any image distortions introduced by the lens. A typical RMS

Traditionally the polar cap has been considered as a region of low activity and reduced energy input. More recent observations, however, evidence more and more exceptions from that. For example, CHAMP and GRACE recorded significant mass density anomalies over the polar cap practically during every magnetic storm. The question is, which process provides enough Joule heating and/or particle precipitation along the open field lines. A promising mechanism is field-aligned currents (FACs). In the past it has been difficult to make reliable estimates of FACs in the polar cap from single satellite magnetic field measurements. An important assumption that the currents are organized in sheets is often not fulfilled in the polar cap. As a consequence current densities are largely underestimated. Only recently ESA's Swarm constellation mission offers reliable FAC estimates from dual-satellite measurements. Significant differences between single and dual-satellite estimates are found in the polar cap. We will show the relation between polar cap FAC patches and IMF orientation and solar wind conditions. Based on these results suggestions for possible current drivers are made.

We present the results of measuring the electric and magnetic field sin the auroral region. The measurements were made by independent instruments on Interkosmos-Bolgariya-1300. We show that in regions where field-aligned currents are flowing, the profiles of electric and magnetic fields are similar. This is apparently one of the phenomena of ionosphere-magnetosphere connections, where closure of the field-aligned currents occurs via meridional Pedersen currents, and the Hall current is divergenceless. In regions where E/sub x/ and /triangle/B/sub y/ are proportional, we have estimated the Pedersen conductivity. The results of these calculations are in agreement with the values of conductivity obtained from electron spectra which were measured simultaneously by the same satellite.

Effective coupling of the optical field from free-space to optical fiber is an essential prerequisite for modern free-space optical communications systems. It allows for easier system integration with active and passive optical fiber-coupled components as well as for efficient optical field mixing for coherent communications. While coupling into single-mode fiber provides the advantage of using low-noise erbium-doped fiber preamplifiers, its relatively small mode field diameter limits achievable fiber coupling efficiency. Coupling into multimode fiber (MMF) increases the fiber coupling efficiency while introducing other spurious effects the authors have set out to analyze. The study of free-space optical beam coupling in the context of satellite communications will be presented. Here, we assume satellite link scenarios with different elevations, which correspond to different index-of-refraction turbulence (IRT) conditions. IRT gives rise to both intensity and phase aberration of the received optical field, which then causes extended speckle patterns in the focus of the receiver telescope. The speckle field at the fiber input is calculated by means of Fourier transform of the received field. Using dedicated modelling software, study of the fiber coupling efficiency, polarization preservation and high-order mode coupling in different multi-mode fibers is carried out.

and therefore the mapping of the Earth's magnetic field may be possible. The spinning of the spacecraft about a certain axis makes the stabilisation in space possible. This fact and the well distributed data over the globe makes the magnetic data well suited for the estimation of the magnetic field model......The Swedish micro-satellite Astrid-2 was successfully launched into a near polar orbit last December 98. Despite the fact that its primary mission was the research of Auroral phenomena, the magnetic instrumentation has been designed to accomplish high resolution vector field magnetic measurements...... at the spacecraft altitude (circa 1000km). Several methods for field modelling are presented in this paper with the assumption that the direction of the spin axis is nearly constant. In any case the orientation of the magnetometer is to bedetermined simultaneously with the instrument calibration and main field...

A model for recognizing inertial and satellite data on an object's motion that are delivered by a set of distributed onboard sensors (newtonmeters, gyros, satellite receivers) has been described. Specifically, the model is capable of estimating the parameters of the gravitational field.

. We report spherical harmonic spectra, comparisons to observatory monthly means, and maps of the radial field at the core-mantle boundary, from the resulting ensemble of core field models. We find that inter-annual fluctuations in the external field (for example related to high solar-driven activity...

GPS data collected by satellite gravity missions can be used for extracting the long-wavelength part of the Earth's gravity field. We propose a new data processing method which makes use of the `average acceleration' approach to gravity field modelling. In this method, satellite accelerations are directly derived from GPS carrier phase measurements with an epoch-differenced scheme. As a result, no ambiguity solutions are needed and the systematic errors that do not change much from epoch to epoch are largely eliminated. The GPS data collected by the Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite mission are used to demonstrate the added value of the proposed method. An analysis of the residual accelerations shows that accelerations derived in this way are more precise, with noise being reduced by about 20 and 5% at the cross-track component and the other two components, respectively, as compared to those based on kinematic orbits. The accelerations obtained in this way allow the recovery of the gravity field to a slightly higher maximum degree compared to the solution based on kinematic orbits. Furthermore, the gravity field solution has an overall better performance. Errors in spherical harmonic coefficients are smaller, especially at low degrees. The cumulative geoid height error is reduced by about 15 and 5% up to degree 50 and 150, respectively. An analysis in the spatial domain shows that large errors along the geomagnetic equator, which are caused by a high electron density coupled with large short-term variations, are substantially reduced. Finally, the new method allows for a better observation of mass transport signals. In particular, sufficiently realistic signatures of regional mass anomalies in North America and south-west Africa are obtained.

GPS data collected by satellite gravity missions can be used for extracting the long-wavelength part of the Earth's gravity field. We propose a new data processing method which makes use of the `average acceleration' approach to gravity field modelling. In this method, satellite accelerations are directly derived from GPS carrier phase measurements with an epoch-differenced scheme. As a result, no ambiguity solutions are needed and the systematic errors that do not change much from epoch to epoch are largely eliminated. The GPS data collected by the Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite mission are used to demonstrate the added value of the proposed method. An analysis of the residual accelerations shows that accelerations derived in this way are more precise, with noise being reduced by about 20 and 5% at the cross-track component and the other two components, respectively, as compared to those based on kinematic orbits. The accelerations obtained in this way allow the recovery of the gravity field to a slightly higher maximum degree compared to the solution based on kinematic orbits. Furthermore, the gravity field solution has an overall better performance. Errors in spherical harmonic coefficients are smaller, especially at low degrees. The cumulative geoid height error is reduced by about 15 and 5% up to degree 50 and 150, respectively. An analysis in the spatial domain shows that large errors along the geomagnetic equator, which are caused by a high electron density coupled with large short-term variations, are substantially reduced. Finally, the new method allows for a better observation of mass transport signals. In particular, sufficiently realistic signatures of regional mass anomalies in North America and south-west Africa are obtained.

Full Text Available Amazonian forests are extremely heterogeneous at different spatial scales. This review intends to present the large-scale patterns of the ecosystem properties of Amazonia, and focuses on two parts of the main components of the net primary production: the long-lived carbon pools (wood and short-lived pools (leaves. First, the focus is on forest biophysical properties, and secondly, on the macro-scale leaf phenological patterns of these forests, looking at field measurements and bringing into discussion the recent findings derived from remote sensing dataset. Finally, I discuss the results of the three major droughts that hit Amazonia in the last 15 years. The panorama that emerges from this review suggests that slow growing forests in central and eastern Amazonia, where soils are poorer, have significantly higher above ground biomass and higher wood density, trees are higher and present lower proportions of large-leaved species than stands in northwest and southwest Amazonia. However, the opposite pattern is observed in relation to forest productivity and dynamism, which is higher in western Amazonia than in central and eastern forests. The spatial patterns on leaf phenology across Amazonia are less marked. Field data from different forest formations showed that new leaf production can be unrelated to climate seasonality, timed with radiation, timed with rainfall and/or river levels. Oppositely, satellite images exhibited a large-scale synchronized peak in new leaf production during the dry season. Satellite data and field measurements bring contrasting results for the 2005 drought. Discussions on data processing and filtering, aerosols effects and a combined analysis with field and satellite images are presented. It is suggested that to improve the understanding of the large-scale patterns on Amazonian forests, integrative analyses that combine new technologies in remote sensing and long-term field ecological data are imperative.

This study makes use of current GFZ monthly and daily gravity field products from 2002 to 2014 based on radial basis functions (RBF) instead of time variable gravity field modeling for precise orbit determination of altimetry satellites. Since some monthly solutions are missing in the GFZ GRACE RL05a solution and in order to reach a better quality for the precise orbit determination, daily generated RBF solutions obtained from Kalman filtered GRACE data processing and interpolated in case of gaps have been used. Moreover, since the geopotential coefficients of low degrees are better determined using SLR observations to geodetic satellites like Lageos, Stella, Starlette and Ajisai than from GRACE observations, these terms are co-estimated in the RBF solutions by using apriori SLR-derived values up to degree and order 4. Precise orbits for altimetry satellites Envisat (2002-2012), Jason-1 (2002-2013) and Jason-2 (2008-2014) are then computed over the given time intervals using this approach and compared with the orbits obtained when using other models such as EIGEN-6S4. An analysis of the root-mean-square values of the observation fits of SLR and DORIS observations and the orbit arcs overlaps will allow us to draw a conclusion on the quality of the RBF solution and to use these new trajectories for sea level trend estimates and geophysical application.

, and therefore mapping of the Earth's magnetic field was possible. The spacecraft spins about a highly stable axis in space. This fact and the globally distributed data make the magnetic measurements well suited for the estimate of a magnetic field model at the spacecraft altitude (about 1000 km). This paper......The Swedish micro-satellite Astrid-2 was successfully launched into a near polar orbit in December 1998. Despite the fact that the primary science mission was auroral research, the magnetic instrument was designed to accomplish high-resolution and high-precision vector field magnetic measurements...... describes the initial analysis of the Astrid-2 magnetic data. As a result of the study of a single day (February 7, 1999), magnetically fairly quiet, it was possible to in-flight adjust the calibration of the magnetometer and find a magnetic field model fitting the scalar component of the measurements...

The conventional approach to the recovery of the Earth's gravitational field from satellite gradiometry observations is based on constructing, from the start, several boundary value (BV) relations, each of them corresponding to a separate observable component of the gravity gradient (GG) tensor or a certain combination of them. In particular, one of such projects, the ARISTOTELES mission, assumes that only the radial and across-track components are accessible (by technical reasons). The purpose of the present paper is mainly to discuss the principle aspects of the problem of the Earth's potential recovering from satellite gradiometry, to give an optimal formulation of the problem and derive the basic boundary value equation in different forms.

We present, for the first time, observational evidence of a kinetic electric field near the X-line associated with asymmetric reconnection at the Earth's dayside magnetopause using Polar observations. On March 29, 2003, Polar satellite detected an asymmetric collisionless reconnection event. This event shows a unipolar Hall electric field signature and a simple deviation from the guide field during the magnetopause crossing, with the absence of an ion plasma jet outflow indicating that the magnetopause crossing was near the X-line. As expected from particle-in-cell simulations by Malakit et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 135001 (2013)), an earthward pointing normal electric field appears in the magnetospheric side of the ion diffusion region. The electric field satisfies two necessary conditions for the existence of the finite ion Larmor radius effect: (1) the ion Larmor radius (r{sub g2}) is larger than the distance between the stagnation point and the edge of the ion diffusion region in the strong magnetic field side (δ{sub S2}) and (2) the spatial extent of the kinetic electric field (δ{sub EL}) is of the order of the ion Larmor radius. Furthermore, it is shown that the peak value of the Larmor electric field is comparable to the predicted value. The observation of the Larmor electric field can be valuable in other analyses to show that the crossing occurred near the X-line.

The planetary-scale components of the extratropical Northern Hemisphere troposphere-stratosphere 1973-74 winter circulation are diagnosed using separate time-mean temperature fields based on radiosonde and satellite observations. Meridional cross-sections of zonal wind together with, for zonal wavenumbers 1, 2 and 3, the streamfunction amplitude, phase and Eliassen-Palm flux are displayed, with the relative accuracy of the satellite-derived diagnostics assessed through comparison with the 'ground-truth' radiosonde information. The satellite and radiosonde diagnostics compare most favourably in terms of zonal wind speed and shear, direction of wave propagation and meridional wave structure - all of which are closely related to the differential properties of the atmospheric temperature field. The intensity of the satellite-derived patterns of tropospheric wave propagation is underestimated due to the effects of spatial smoothing and residual cloud contamination present in the satellite radiance measurements.

We present an attempt to improve the quality of the geomagnetic field measurements from the Polar Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (POGO) satellite missions in the late 1960s. Inaccurate satellite positions are believed to be a major source of errors for using the magnetic observations for field modelling. To improve the data, we use an iterative approach consisting of two main parts: one is a main field modelling process to obtain the radial field gradient to perturb the orbits and the other is the state-of-the-art GPS orbit modelling software BERNESE to calculate new physical orbits. We report results based on a single-day approach showing a clear increase of the data quality. That single-day approach leads, however, to undesirable orbital jumps at midnight. Furthermore, we report results obtained for a much larger data set comprising almost all of the data from the three missions. With this approach, we eliminate the orbit discontinuities at midnight but only tiny quality improvements could be achieved for geomagnetically quiet data. We believe that improvements to the data are probably still possible, but it would require the original tracking observations to be found.

The launch of the Danish satellite Ørsted on 23 February, 1999 marked the beginning of the "Decade of Geopotential Field Research", an international effort to promote and coordinate a continuous monitoring of the geopotential (magnetic and gravity) field variability in the near-Earth environment. Already the first years of Ørsted magnetic field observations showed that dramatic changes had taken place, in particular in the South Atlantic / South African continent during the 20 years that had elapsed without satellite data after the NASA MAGSAT satellite mapping of the Earth's magnetic field. Although only designed with a life time of 14 months, the Ørsted satellite has still been providing valuable data, 10 years after launch, and has during this time been accompanied by two other geomagnetic satellite missions, the German CHAMP and the Argentinean SAC-C, both with similar instrumentation as the Ørsted satellite. This long period of continuous satellite observations of the magnetic field brought a number of scientific results including the detection of rapidly changing flows at the top of the core and crucial contribution to the derivation of the first World Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map. Furthermore, the high quality of the observations made it possible to identify completely new satellite magnetic signatures related to oceanic tides, ionospheric pressure gradient currents, and magnetic signatures of plasma bubbles. As often in science, new observations trigger new questions, which need to be answered with even more sophisticated measurements. This challenge was taken up by ESA by its selection of Swarm as the 5th mission in the Earth Explorer Programme. The three satellite constellation mission Swarm will be launched in 2010-11 with the objective to provide the best ever survey of the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution in order to improve our understanding of the Earth's interior and the Geospace environment including the Sun-Earth connection

The Time-Space Exchangeability (TSE) concept states that similar characteristics of a given property are closely related statistically for objects or features within close proximity. In this exercise, the objects considered are growing cumulus clouds, and the data sets to be considered in a statistical sense are geostationary satellite infrared (IR) fields that help describe cloud growth rates, cloud top heights, and whether cloud tops contain significant amounts of frozen hydrometeors. In this exercise, the TSE concept is applied to alter otherwise static thresholds of IR fields of interest used within a satellite-based convective initiation (CI) nowcasting algorithm. The convective environment in which the clouds develop dictate growth rate and precipitation processes, and cumuli growing within similar mesoscale environments should have similar growth characteristics. Using environmental information provided by regional statistics of the interest fields, the thresholds are examined for adjustment toward improving the accuracy of 0-1 h CI nowcasts. Growing cumulus clouds are observed within a CI algorithm through IR fields for many 1000 s of cumulus cloud objects, from which statistics are generated on mesoscales. Initial results show a reduction in the number of false alarms of ~50%, yet at the cost of eliminating approximately ~20% of the correct CI forecasts. For comparison, static thresholds (i.e., with the same threshold values applied across the entire satellite domain) within the CI algorithm often produce a relatively high probability of detection, with false alarms being a significant problem. In addition to increased algorithm performance, a benefit of using a method like TSE is that a variety of unknown variables that influence cumulus cloud growth can be accounted for without need for explicit near-cloud observations that can be difficult to obtain.

The CHAMP satellite continues to provide highly accurate magnetic field measurements with decreasing orbital altitudes (<350km) at solar minimum conditions. A promising new CHAMP data product has become available, which provides the total field with one order of magnitude smaller noise amplitudes. The product is inferred from suitably merged Fluxgate and Overhauser magnetometer data. While the low-noise Fluxgate measurements are used in the short-period range (<900sec, or <6000km wavelength), we take advantage of the high stability provided by the Overhauser for the longer periods. The new data set is used for generating an improved lithospheric magnetic field model (MF6). Although MF6 is still in production at the time of writing this abstract, we anticipate significant benefits in terms of resolving small- scale low-amplitude crustal features from the new data. Further improvements include a new correction for steady ocean circulation and an expansion to higher spherical harmonic degrees of the model.

The Geo REC is the digital remote sensing survey system which based on domestic satellites, and by means of it, the thesis carriedy out a remote sensing anomaly verification field application test in Nachitai area of Qinghai. Field test checks the system installation, the stability of the system operation, the efficiency of reading and show the romoate image or vector data, the security of the data management system and the accuracy of BeiDou navigation; through the test data, the author indicated that the hardware and software system could satisfy the remote sensing anomaly verification work in field, which could also could make it convenient forconvenient the workflow of remote sense survey and, improve the work efficiency,. Aat the same time, in the course of the experiment, we also found some shortcomings of the system, and give some suggestions for improvement combineding with the practical work for the system.

Full Text Available In order to solve the intensive computing tasks and high memory demand problem in satellite gravity field model inversion on the basis of huge amounts of satellite gravity observations, the parallel algorithm for high truncated order and degree satellite gravity field model inversion with least square method on the basis of MPI was introduced. After analyzing the time and space complexity of each step in the solving flow, the parallel I/O, block-organized storage and block-organized computation algorithm on the basis of MPI are introduced to design the parallel algorithm for building design matrix, establishing and solving normal equation, and the simulation results indicate that the parallel efficiency of building design matrix, establishing and solving normal equation can reach to 95%, 68%and 63% respectively. In addition, on the basis of GOCE simulated orbits and radial disturbance gravity gradient data(518 400 epochs in total, two earth gravity models truncated to degree and order 120, 240 are inversed, and the relative computation time and memory demand are only about 40 minutes and 7 hours, 290 MB and 1.57 GB respectively. Eventually, a simulation numerical calculation for earth gravity field model inversion with the simulation data, which has the equivalent noise level with GRACE and GOCE mission, is conducted. The accuracy of inversion model has a good consistent with current released model, and the combined mode can complement the spectral information of each individual mission, which indicates that the parallel algorithm in this paper can be applied to inverse the high truncated degree and order earth gravity model efficiently and stably.

Results are presented from the Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite, a mission designed to understand, model, and forecast the presence of equatorial ionospheric irregularities. The VEFI instrument includes a vector DC electric field detector, a fixed-bias Langmuir probe operating in the ion saturation regime, a flux gate magnetometer, an optical lightning detector, and associated electronics including a burst memory. Compared to data obtained during more active solar conditions, the ambient DC electric fields and their associated E x B drifts are variable and somewhat weak, typically < 1 mV/m. Although average drift directions show similarities to those previously reported, eastward/outward during day and westward/downward at night, this pattern varies significantly with longitude and is not always present. Daytime vertical drifts near the magnetic equator are largest after sunrise, with smaller average velocities after noon. Little or no pre-reversal enhancement in the vertical drift near sunset is observed, attributable to the solar minimum conditions creating a much reduced neutral dynamo at the satellite altitude. The nighttime ionosphere is characterized by larger amplitude, structured electric fields, even where the plasma density appears nearly quiescent. Data from successive orbits reveal that the vertical drifts and plasma density are both clearly organized with longitude. The spread-F density depletions and corresponding electric fields that have been detected thus far have displayed a preponderance to appear between midnight and dawn. Associated with the narrow plasma depletions that are detected are broad spectra of electric field and plasma density irregularities for which a full vector set of measurements is available for detailed study. The VEFI data represents a new set of measurements that are germane to numerous fundamental aspects of the electrodynamics

In Tanzania agricultural extension agents traditionally collect field data on agriculture and food security on paper, covering most villages throughout the country. The process is expensive, slow and cumbersome and prone to data transcription errors when the data get entered at the district offices into electronic spreadsheets. Field data on the status and condition of agricultural crops, the population's nutritional status, food storage levels and other parameters are needed in near realtime for early warning to make critical but most importantly timely and appropriate decisions that are informed with verified data from the ground. With the ubiquitous distribution of cell phones, which are now used by the vast majority of the population in Tanzania including most farmers, new, efficient and cost-effective methods for field data collection have become available. Using smartphones and tablets data on crop conditions, pest and diseases, natural disasters and livelihoods can be collected and made available and easily accessible in near realtime. In this project we implemented a process for obtaining high quality electronic field data using the GeoODK application with a large network of field extension agents in Tanzania and Uganda. These efforts contribute to work being done on developing an advanced agriculture monitoring system for Tanzania, incorporating traditional data collection with satellite information and field data. The outcomes feed directly into the National Food Security Bulletin for Tanzania produced by the Ministry of Agriculture as well as a form a firm evidence base and field scale monitoring of the disaster risk financing in Uganda.

Irrigation accounts for 80% of human freshwater consumption, and most of it return to the atmosphere through Evapotranspiration (ET). Given the challenges of already-stressed water resources and ground water regulation in California, a cost-effective, timely, and consistent spatial estimate of crop ET, from the farm to watershed level, is becoming increasingly important. The Priestley-Taylor (PT) approach, calibrated with field data and driven by satellite observations, shows great promise for accurate ET estimates across diverse ecosystems. We here aim to improve the robustness of the PT approach in agricultural lands, to enable growers and farm managers to tailor irrigation management based on in-field spatial variability and in-season variation. We optimized the PT coefficients for each crop type with available ET measurements from eddy covariance towers and/or surface renewal stations at six crop fields (Alfalfa, Almond, Citrus, Corn, Pistachio and Rice) in California. Good agreement was found between satellite-based estimates and field measurements of net radiation, with a RMSE of less than 36 W m-2. The crop type specific optimization performed well, with a RMSE of 30 W m-2 and a correlation of 0.81 for predicted daily latent heat flux. The calibrated algorithm was used to estimate ET at 30 m resolution over the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region for 2015 water year. It captures well the seasonal dynamics and spatial distribution of ET in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A continuous monitoring of the dynamics and spatial heterogeneity of canopy and consumptive water use at a field scale, will help the growers to be well prepared and informed to adaptively manage water, canopy, and grove density to maximize the yield with the least amount of water.

Satellite stereo and satellites that follow each other on similar orbits within short time periods produce near-simultaneous space imagery, a kind of data that is little exploited. In this study, we track river-ice and sea-ice motion over time periods of tens of seconds to several minutes, which is the typical time lag between the two or more images of such near-simultaneous acquisition constellations. Using this novel approach, we measure and visualize for the first time the almost complete two-dimensional minute-scale velocity fields over several thousand square-kilometers of sea ice cover or over up to several hundred kilometers long river reaches. We present the types of near-simultaneous imagery and constellations suitable for the measurements and discuss application examples, using a range of high and medium resolution imagery such as from ASTER, ALOS PRISM, Ikonos, WorldView-2, Landsat and EO-1. The river ice velocities obtained provide new insights into ice dynamics, river flow and river morphology, in particular during ice breakup. River-ice breakup and the associated downstream transport of ice debris is often the most important hydrological event of the year, producing flood levels that commonly exceed those for the open-water period and dramatic consequences for river infrastructure and ecology. We also estimate river discharge from ice/water surface velocities using near-simultaneous satellite imagery. Our results for sea ice complement velocity fields typically obtained over time-scales of days and can thus contribute to better understanding of a number of processes involved in sea ice drift, such as wind impact, tidal currents and interaction of ice floes with each other and with obstacles.

The cold dark matter (CDM) model has two unsolved issues: simulations overpredict the satellite abundance around the Milky Way (MW) and it disagrees with observations of the central densities of dwarf galaxies which prefer constant density (core) profiles. One alternative explanation known as the scalar field dark matter (SFDM) model, assumes that dark matter is a scalar field of mass (˜10-22 eV/c2); this model can reduce the overabundance issue due to the lack of halo formation below a mass scale of ˜108M⊙ and successfully fits the density distribution in dwarfs. One of the attractive features of the model is predicting core profiles in halos, although the determination of the core sizes is set by fitting the observational data. We perform N-body simulations to explore the influence of tidal forces over a stellar distribution embedded in an SFDM halo orbiting a MW-like SFDM host halo with a disk. Our simulations intend to test the viability of SFDM as an alternative model by comparing the tidal effects that result in this paradigm with those obtained in the CDM for similar mass halos. We found that galaxies in subhalos with core profiles and high central densities survive for 10 Gyr. The same occurs for galaxies in low density subhalos located far from the host disk influence, whereas satellites in low density DM halos and in tight orbits can eventually be stripped of stars. We conclude that SFDM shows consistency with results from the CDM for dwarf galaxies, but naturally offer a possibility to solve the missing satellite problem.

Giant clams, the largest living bivalves, live in close association with coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific. These iconic invertebrates perform numerous important ecological roles as well as serve as flagship species-drawing attention to the ongoing destruction of coral reefs and their associated biodiversity. To date, no review of giant clams has focussed on their behaviour, yet this component of their autecology is critical to their life history and hence conservation. Almost 100 articles published between 1865 and 2014 include behavioural observations, and these have been collated and synthesised into five sections: spawning, locomotion, feeding, anti-predation, and stress responses. Even though the exact cues for spawning in the wild have yet to be elucidated, giant clams appear to display diel and lunar periodicities in reproduction, and for some species, peak breeding seasons have been established. Perhaps surprisingly, giant clams have considerable mobility, ranging from swimming and gliding as larvae to crawling in juveniles and adults. Chemotaxis and geotaxis have been established, but giant clams are not phototactic. At least one species exhibits clumping behaviour, which may enhance physical stabilisation, facilitate reproduction, or provide protection from predators. Giant clams undergo several shifts in their mode of acquiring nutrition; starting with a lecithotrophic and planktotrophic diet as larvae, switching to pedal feeding after metamorphosis followed by the transition to a dual mode of filter feeding and phototrophy once symbiosis with zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium spp.) is established. Because of their shell weight and/or byssal attachment, adult giant clams are unable to escape rapidly from threats using locomotion. Instead, they exhibit a suite of visually mediated anti-predation behaviours that include sudden contraction of the mantle, valve adduction, and squirting of water. Knowledge on the behaviour of giant clams will benefit

Magnetic field observations are conducted on each of the DE-A and -B satellites by a triaxial fluxgate magnetometer. In the basic mode the instrumental resolution is + or - 1.5 nT; in addition, the DE-A magnetometer has two modes of higher resolution: + or - 0.25 nT and + or - 20 pT. The sampling rate is 16 vector samples per second in all modes. The experiment objectives include observations of field-aligned currents, magnetospheric equatorial currents, and ULF waves. These observations, taking full advantage of the specifically selected orbits of the two spacecraft and of the unique combination of instruments, are performed to achieve a better understanding of the electrodynamic coupling within the atmosphere-ionosphere-magnetosphere system and of wave-particle interactions which contribute to the coupling processes.

The objective of the Swarm mission is to provide the best ever survey of the geomagnetic field and its temporal dependency, and to gain new insights into improving our knowledge of the Earth’s interior and climate. The Swarm concept consists of a constellation of three satellites in three different...... near polar orbits between 300 and 550 km altitude. Goal of the current study is to achieve a fast diagnosis of the Swarm system performance in orbit during commission phase and operations of the spacecraft. With the help of a specially developed software package datasets are analyzed in terms...... of a closed loop simulation and the effects on the reconstruction of the magnetic field resulting from various error sources acting on the spacecraft are investigated. At first, the simplest noise-free case is examined and then more complex scenarios which include attitude errors, position errors and spectral...

This paper studies the requirements for a small constellation of satellites to perform measurements of the magnetic field of the Earth and a payload and boom design for such a mission is discussed. After studying communication, power and mass requirements it is found that it is feasible to develop...... a 10 x 10 x 30 cm(3) satellite with a mass of about 2.5 kg, which can fulfill such a mission. We also study the feasibility of controlling a constellation of such small satellites by means of air drag by extracting one or more flaps. It is found that it is indeed possible, but for best performance...

We report observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites of parallel electric fields (E_{∥}) associated with magnetic reconnection in the subsolar region of the Earth's magnetopause. E_{∥} events near the electron diffusion region have amplitudes on the order of 100 mV/m, which are significantly larger than those predicted for an antiparallel reconnection electric field. This Letter addresses specific types of E_{∥} events, which appear as large-amplitude, near unipolar spikes that are associated with tangled, reconnected magnetic fields. These E_{∥} events are primarily in or near a current layer near the separatrix and are interpreted to be double layers that may be responsible for secondary reconnection in tangled magnetic fields or flux ropes. These results are telling of the three-dimensional nature of magnetopause reconnection and indicate that magnetopause reconnection may be often patchy and/or drive turbulence along the separatrix that results in flux ropes and/or tangled magnetic fields.

We use a mass complete (log($M/M_{\\odot}$) $\\geqslant$ 9.6) sample of galaxies with accurate photometric redshifts in the COSMOS field to construct the density field and the cosmic web to $z$=1.2. The comic web extraction relies on the density field Hessian matrix and breaks the density field into clusters, filaments and the field. We provide the density field and cosmic web measures to the community. We show that at $z$ $\\lesssim$ 0.8, the median star-formation rate (SFR) in the cosmic web gradually declines from the field to clusters and this decline is especially sharp for satellites ($\\sim$ 1 dex vs. $\\sim$ 0.5 dex for centrals). However, at $z$ $\\gtrsim$ 0.8, the trend flattens out for the overall galaxy population and satellites. For star-forming galaxies only, the median SFR is constant at $z$ $\\gtrsim$ 0.5 but declines by $\\sim$ 0.3-0.4 dex from the field to clusters for satellites and centrals at $z$ $\\lesssim$ 0.5. We argue that for satellites, the main role of the cosmic web environment is to contr...

We have derived a model of the near-Earth magnetic field (up to spherical harmonic degree n= 50 for the static field, and up to n = 18 for the first time derivative) using more than 6.5 yr of high-precision geomagnetic measurements from the three satellites Orsted, CHAMP and SAC-C taken between...

Marine organisms are known to play important roles in transforming nutrients in sediments, however, guidelines to optimize sediment restoration are not available. We conducted a laboratory mesocosm experiment to investigate the role of hard clams, polychaetes, the degree of physical disturbance and denitrifying bacterial concentrations in removing total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total organic carbon (TOC) in marine sediments. Response surface methodology was employed to analyze the results of initial experiments and in a subsequent experiment identified optimal combinations of parameters. Balancing the TN, TP, TOC removal efficiency, our model predicted 39% TN removal, 33% TP removal, and 42% TOC removal for a 14-day laboratory bioremediation trial using hard clams biomass of 1.2kgm(-2), physical disturbance depth of 16.4cm, bacterial density of 0.18Lm(-2), and polychaetes biomass of 0.16kgm(-2), respectively. These results emphasize the value of combining different species in field-based bioremediation.

Rain cells or convective rain, the dominant form of rain in the tropics and subtropics, can be easy detected by satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images with high horizontal resolution. The footprints of rain cells on SAR images are caused by the scattering and attenuation of the rain drops, as well as the downward airflow. In this study, we extract sea surface wind field and its structure caused by rain cells by using a RADARSAT-2 SAR image with a spatial resolution of 100 m for case study. We extract the sea surface wind speeds from SAR image by using CMOD4 geophysical model function with outside wind directions of NCEP final operational global analysis data, Advance Scatterometer (ASCAT) onboard European MetOp-A satellite and microwave scatterometer onboard Chinese HY-2 satellite, respectively. The root-mean-square errors (RMSE) of these SAR wind speeds, validated against NCEP, ASCAT and HY-2, are 1.48 m/s, 1.64 m/s and 2.14 m/s, respectively. Circular signature patterns with brighter on one side and darker on the opposite side on SAR image are interpreted as the sea surface wind speed (or sea surface roughness) variety caused by downdraft associated with rain cells. The wind speeds taken from the transect profile which superposes to the wind ambient vectors and goes through the center of the circular footprint of rain cell can be fitted as a cosine or sine curve in high linear correlation with the values of no less than 0.80. The background wind speed, the wind speed caused by rain cell and the diameter of footprint of the rain cell with kilometers or tens of kilometers can be acquired by fitting curve. Eight cases interpreted and analyzed in this study all show the same conclusion.

The present paper deals with the application of Support Vector Machine (SVM) and image analysis techniques on NOAA/AVHRR satellite image to detect hotspots on the Jharia coal field region of India. One of the major advantages of using these satellite data is that the data are free with very good temporal resolution; while, one drawback is that these have low spatial resolution (i.e., approximately 1.1 km at nadir). Therefore, it is important to do research by applying some efficient optimization techniques along with the image analysis techniques to rectify these drawbacks and use satellite images for efficient hotspot detection and monitoring. For this purpose, SVM and multi-threshold techniques are explored for hotspot detection. The multi-threshold algorithm is developed to remove the cloud coverage from the land coverage. This algorithm also highlights the hotspots or fire spots in the suspected regions. SVM has the advantage over multi-thresholding technique that it can learn patterns from the examples and therefore is used to optimize the performance by removing the false points which are highlighted in the threshold technique. Both approaches can be used separately or in combination depending on the size of the image. The RBF (Radial Basis Function) kernel is used in training of three sets of inputs: brightness temperature of channel 3, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Global Environment Monitoring Index (GEMI), respectively. This makes a classified image in the output that highlights the hotspot and non-hotspot pixels. The performance of the SVM is also compared with the performance obtained from the neural networks and SVM appears to detect hotspots more accurately (greater than 91% classification accuracy) with lesser false alarm rate. The results obtained are found to be in good agreement with the ground based observations of the hotspots.

Full Text Available This paper describes an observation-based approach that efficiently combines the main components of the global ocean observing system using statistical methods. Accurate but sparse in situ temperature and salinity profiles (mainly from Argo for the last 10 yr are merged with the lower accuracy but high-resolution synthetic data derived from satellite altimeter and sea surface temperature observations to provide global 3-D temperature and salinity fields at high temporal and spatial resolution. The first step of the method consists in deriving synthetic temperature fields from altimeter and sea surface temperature observations, and salinity fields from altimeter observations, through multiple/simple linear regression methods. The second step of the method consists in combining the synthetic fields with in situ temperature and salinity profiles using an optimal interpolation method. Results show the revolutionary nature of the Argo observing system. Argo observations now allow a global description of the statistical relationships that exist between surface and subsurface fields needed for step 1 of the method, and can constrain the large-scale temperature and mainly salinity fields during step 2 of the method. Compared to the use of climatological estimates, results indicate that up to 50% of the variance of the temperature fields can be reconstructed from altimeter and sea surface temperature observations and a statistical method. For salinity, only about 20 to 30% of the signal can be reconstructed from altimeter observations, making the in situ observing system essential for salinity estimates. The in situ observations (step 2 of the method further reduce the differences between the gridded products and the observations by up to 20% for the temperature field in the mixed layer, and the main contribution is for salinity and the near surface layer with an improvement up to 30%. Compared to estimates derived using in situ observations only, the

Full Text Available This paper describes an observation-based approach that combines efficiently the main components of the global ocean observing system using statistical methods. Accurate but sparse in situ temperature and salinity profiles (mainly from Argo for the last 10 years are merged with the lower accuracy but high-resolution synthetic data derived from altimeter and sea surface temperature satellite observations to provide global 3-D temperature and salinity fields at high temporal and spatial resolution. The first step of the method consists in deriving synthetic temperature fields from altimeter and sea surface temperature observations and salinity fields from altimeter observations through multiple/simple linear regression methods. The second step of the method consists in combining the synthetic fields with in situ temperature and salinity profiles using an optimal interpolation method. Results show the revolution of the Argo observing system. Argo observations now allow a global description of the statistical relationships that exist between surface and subsurface fields needed for step 1 of the method and can constrain the large-scale temperature and mainly salinity fields during step 2 of the method. Compared to the use of climatological estimates, results indicate that up to 50 % of the variance of the temperature fields can be reconstructed from altimeter and sea surface temperature observations and a statistical method. For salinity, only about 20 to 30 % of the signal can be reconstructed from altimeter observations, making the in situ observing system mandatory for salinity estimates. The in situ observations (step 2 of the method reduce additionally the error by up to 20 % for the temperature field in the mixed layer and the main contribution is for salinity and the near surface layer with an improvement up to 30 %. Compared to estimates derived using in situ observations only, the merged fields provide a better reconstruction of the high

The electrical conductivity of the upper mantle is estimated from low-latitude magnetic field variations caused by large fluctuations in the equatorial ring current. The data base is derived from magnetic field magnitude data measured by satellites OGO 2, 4, and 6, which offer better global coverage than land-based observatories. The procedures of analysis consist of: (1) separation of the disturbance field into internal and external parts relative to the surface of the earth, (2) estimation of an electromagnetic response function Q(omega) which relates the internally generated magnetic field variations to the external variations due to the ring current, and (3) interpretation of the estimated response function using theoretical response functions for assumed conductivity profiles. Special consideration is given to possible oceanic and ionospheric effects. Best estimates of the geomagnetic response function Q(omega) for 0.2 to 2.0 cpd indicate an upper mantle conductivity of the order of 0.01 S/m.

The electrical conductivity of the upper mantle is estimated from low-latitude magnetic field variations caused by large fluctuations in the equatorial ring current. The data base is derived from magnetic field magnitude data measured by satellites OGO 2, 4, and 6, which offer better global coverage than land-based observatories. The procedures of analysis consist of: (1) separation of the disturbance field into internal and external parts relative to the surface of the earth, (2) estimation of an electromagnetic response function Q(omega) which relates the internally generated magnetic field variations to the external variations due to the ring current, and (3) interpretation of the estimated response function using theoretical response functions for assumed conductivity profiles. Special consideration is given to possible oceanic and ionospheric effects. Best estimates of the geomagnetic response function Q(omega) for 0.2 to 2.0 cpd indicate an upper mantle conductivity of the order of 0.01 S/m.

The Manila clam Venerupis philippinarum is a good biomonitor/bioindicator to marine metal pollution and is frequently used in aquatic toxicology.Two dominant pedigrees (white and zebra) of clam are distributed in the Bohai Sea； however,little attention has been paid to potential biological differences between these two pedigrees.In this study,we tested the sensitivity of both pedigrees to marine metal (cadmium and zinc) pollution biomonitoring and marine environmental toxicology.Results demonstrate significant biological differences in gills of white and zebra clams based on metabolic profiles and antioxidant enzyme activities.In addition,we found that hypotaurine,malonate and homarine were relatively high in white clam gills,while alanine,arginine,glutamate,succinate,4-aminobutyrate,taurine and betaine were high in zebra clam gills.Zebra clam gills were also more sensitive to a mixture of Cd and Zn,as shown by antioxidant enzyme activities and metabolic profiles,but white clam gills could accumulate more Zn.Therefore,we suggest that the white pedigree can be used as a biomonitor to marine Zn pollution,whereas the zebra pedigree can be used for toxicology studies on Cd and Zn mixed pollution.

Two autochthonous clams, Venerupis aurea laeta and Cerastoderma edule/glaucum, collected for a period of 1 year, from May 2007 to January 2008, were studied in the Cape Peloro lagoon. On the samples, it was evaluated the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and proteins, lipids and yield edible part were determined. It was evaluated the concentration of mineral elements (Cd, Cu, Mn, Se, Pb, Zn) and organic contaminants (∑DDT and PCBs). Salmonella is never present in any sample. Total and faecal coliform values have always been under law limits for alive bivalves mussels production and sale. Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb levels were found in clams where they are slightly lower too. Both species do not show significant changes for Mn and Se. DDT and PCBs traces were discovered in Ganzirri Lake' samples, but in all observed cases, they were below law limits. As a result of all these observations, it is clear that, in recent years, the bivalve's use of Ganzirri Lake does not denote toxicological risk to human health.

Reliable and updated maps of vegetation in protected natural areas are essential for a proper management and conservation. Remote sensing is a valid tool for this purpose. In this study, a methodology based on a WorldView-2 (WV-2) satellite image and in situ spectral signatures measurements was applied to map the Canarian Monteverde ecosystem located in the north of the Tenerife Island (Canary Islands, Spain). Due to the high spectral similarity of vegetation species in the study zone, a Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA) was performed. MESMA determines the fractional cover of different components within one pixel and it allows for a pixel-by-pixel variation of endmembers. Two libraries of endmembers were collected for the most abundant species in the test area. The first library was collected from in situ spectral signatures measured with an ASD spectroradiometer during a field campaign in June 2015. The second library was obtained from pure pixels identified in the satellite image for the same species. The accuracy of the mapping process was assessed from a set of independent validation plots. The overall accuracy for the ASD-based method was 60.51 % compared to the 86.67 % reached for the WV-2 based mapping. The results suggest the possibility of using WV-2 images for monitoring and regularly updating the maps of the Monteverde forest on the island of Tenerife.

Initial results are presented from the Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite, a mission designed to understand, model, and forecast the presence of equatorial ionospheric irregularities. The VEFI instrument includes a vector DC electric field detector, a fixed-bias Langmuir probe operating in the ion saturation regime, a flux gate magnetometer, an optical lightning detector, and associated electronics including a burst memory. The DC electric field detector has revealed zonal and meridional electric fields that undergo a diurnal variation, typically displaying eastward and outward-directed fields during the day and westward and downward-directed fields at night. In general, the measured DC electric field amplitudes are in the 0.5-2 mV/m range, corresponding to I3 x B drifts of the order of 30-150 m/s. What is surprising is the high degree of large-scale (10's to 100's of km) structure in the DC electric field, particularly at night, regardless of whether well-defined spread-F plasma density depletions are present. The spread-F density depletions and corresponding electric fields that have been detected thus far have displayed a preponderance to appear between midnight and dawn. Associated with the narrow plasma depletions that are detected are broad spectra of electric field and plasma density irregularities for which a full vector set of measurements is available for detailed study. On some occasions, localized regions of low frequency (field broadband irregularities have been detected, suggestive of filamentary currents, although there is no one-to-one correspondence of these waves with the observed plasma density depletions, at least within the data examined thus far. Finally, the data set includes a wide range of ELF/VLF/HF waves corresponding to a variety of plasma waves, in particular banded ELF hiss, whistlers, and lower hybrid wave turbulence triggered by lightning

In order to improve operational safety and efficiency, the transportation industry, including aviation, has an urgent need for accurate diagnoses and predictions of clouds and associated weather conditions. Adverse weather accounts for 70% of all air traffic delays within the U.S. National Airspace System. The Federal Aviation Administration has determined that as much as two thirds of weather-related delays are potentially avoidable with better weather information and roughly 20% of all aviation accidents are weather related. Thus, it is recognized that an important factor in meeting the goals of the Next Generation Transportation System (NexGen) vision is the improved integration of weather information. The concept of a 4-D weather cube is being developed to address that need by integrating observed and forecasted weather information into a shared 4-D database, providing an integrated and nationally consistent weather picture for a variety of users and to support operational decision support systems. Weather analyses and forecasts derived using Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models are a critical tool that forecasters rely on for guidance and also an important element in current and future decision support systems. For example, the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) and the recently implemented Rapid Refresh (RR) Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) models provide high frequency forecasts and are key elements of the FAA Aviation Weather Research Program. Because clouds play a crucial role in the dynamics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere, they must be adequately accounted for in NWP models. The RUC, for example, cycles at full resolution five cloud microphysical species (cloud water, cloud ice, rain, snow, and graupel) and has the capability of updating these fields from observations. In order to improve the models initial state and subsequent forecasts, cloud top altitude (or temperature, T(sub c)) derived from operational satellite data, surface observations of

An algorithm to automatically extract coordinate and time information from optical observation data of geostationary orbit satellites (GEO satellites) or geosynchronous orbit satellites (GOS satellites) is developed. The optical wide-field patrol system is capable of automatic observation using a pre-arranged schedule. Therefore, if this type of automatic analysis algorithm is available, daily unmanned monitoring of GEO satellites can be possible. For data acquisition for development, the COMS1 satellite was observed with 1-s exposure time and 1-m interval. The images were grouped and processed in terms of ¡°action¡±, and each action was composed of six or nine successive images. First, a reference image with the best quality in one action was selected. Next, the rest of the images in the action were geometrically transformed to fit in the horizontal coordinate system (expressed in azimuthal angle and elevation) of the reference image. Then, these images were median-combined to retain only the possible non-moving GEO candidates. By reverting the coordinate transformation of the positions of these GEO satellite candidates, the final coordinates could be calculated.

We use a mass complete (log(M/{M}ȯ ) ≥slant 9.6) sample of galaxies with accurate photometric redshifts in the COSMOS field to construct the density field and the cosmic web to z = 1.2. The comic web extraction relies on the density field Hessian matrix and breaks the density field into clusters, filaments, and the field. We provide the density field and cosmic web measures to the community. We show that at z ≲ 0.8, the median star formation rate (SFR) in the cosmic web gradually declines from the field to clusters and this decline is especially sharp for satellites (∼1 dex versus ∼0.5 dex for centrals). However, at z ≳ 0.8, the trend flattens out for the overall galaxy population and satellites. For star-forming (SF) galaxies only, the median SFR is constant at z ≳ 0.5 but declines by ∼0.3–0.4 dex from the field to clusters for satellites and centrals at z ≲ 0.5. We argue that for satellites, the main role of the cosmic web environment is to control their SF fraction, whereas for centrals, it is mainly to control their overall SFR at z ≲ 0.5 and to set their fraction at z ≳ 0.5. We suggest that most satellites experience a rapid quenching mechanism as they fall from the field into clusters through filaments, whereas centrals mostly undergo a slow environmental quenching at z ≲ 0.5 and a fast mechanism at higher redshifts. Our preliminary results highlight the importance of the large-scale cosmic web on galaxy evolution.

More than 2 years of magnetic field data taken by the three-satellite constellation mission Swarm are used to derive a model of Earth’s magnetic field and its time variation. This model is called SIFMplus. In addition to the magnetic field observations provided by each of the three Swarm satellites...... the North–South gradient. The SIFMplus model provides a description of the static lithospheric field that is very similar to models determined from CHAMP data, up to at least spherical harmonic degree n=75. Also the core field part of SIFMplus, with a quadratic time dependence for n≤6 and a linear time...... with the model of the core, lithospheric and large-scale magnetospheric fields, a magnetic potential that depends on quasi-dipole latitude and magnetic local time....

Full Text Available We present a fast method for road network extraction in satellite images. It can be seen as a transposition of the segmentation scheme Ã¢Â€Âœwatershed transform + region adjacency graph + Markov random fieldsÃ¢Â€Â to the extraction of curvilinear objects. Many road extractors which are composed of two stages can be found in the literature. The first one acts like a filter that can decide from a local analysis, at every image point, if there is a road or not. The second stage aims at obtaining the road network structure. In the method we propose to rely on a Ã¢Â€ÂœpotentialÃ¢Â€Â image, that is, unstructured image data that can be derived from any road extractor filter. In such a potential image, the value assigned to a point is a measure of its likelihood to be located in the middle of a road. A filtering step applied on the potential image relies on the area closing operator followed by the watershed transform to obtain a connected line which encloses the road network. Then a graph describing adjacency relationships between watershed lines is built. Defining Markov random fields upon this graph, associated with an energetic model of road networks, leads to the expression of road network extraction as a global energy minimization problem. This method can easily be adapted to other image processing fields, where the recognition of curvilinear structures is involved.

An Hα surge event occurred at AR NOAA 11259 on 2011 July 22. According to the BBSO (Big Bear Solar Observatory) Hα line-center observations, three surges continuously ejected from the same region to the north of the main-sunspot of AR 11259. All of surges ejected along a straight trajectory, and looked like the reversed Eiffel Tower. The first and second surges had the same process. Two bright points firstly appeared to the north of the main-sunspot. After several minutes, a surge appeared between the two bright points, and then rapidly ejected when the two points got most brightness.When the surge reached the maximum height, it disappeared quickly. However, the third surge appeared without bright points, and its height was only half of the others. Compared with SDO/HMI (Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager) line-of-sight magnetogram, more than one hour before the first surge appeared, a satellite bipolar magnetic field emerged from the surge-ejection region. The newly-emerging positive magnetic flux showed a distinct decrease several minutes earlier than the ejection of the surges. We assumed that the surges was associated with the reconnection between the newly-emerging bipolar magnetic field and the existing (sunspot) magnetic field.

The CSES satellite, developed by Chinese (CNSA) and Italian (ASI) space Agencies, will investigate iono-magnetospheric disturbances (induced by seismicity and electromagnetic emissions of tropospheric and anthropogenic origin); will monitor the temporal stability of the inner Van Allen radiation belts and will study the solar-terrestrial coupling by measuring fluxes of cosmic rays and solar energetic particles. In particular the mission aims at confirming the existences (claimed from several analyses) of a temporal correlations between the occurrence of earthquakes and the observation in space of electromagnetic disturbances, plasma fluctiations and anomalous fluxes of high-energy particles precipitating from the inner Van Allen belt. CSES will be launched in the summer of 2017 with a multi-instruments payload able to measure: e.m. fields, charged particles, plasma, TEC, etc. The Italian LIMADOU collaboration will provide the High-Energy Particle Detector (HEPD), designed for detecting electrons (3-200 MeV) and proton (30-300 MeV)), and participates to develop the Electric Field Detector (EFD) conceived for measuring electric field from ∼DC up to 5 MHz.

Estimates based on the strength, size, and shape of the Atlantic razor clam (Ensis directus) indicate that the animal's burrow depth should be physically limited to a few centimeters; yet razor clams can dig as deep as 70 cm. By measuring soil deformations around burrowing E. directus, we have found the animal reduces drag by contracting its valves to initially fail, and then fluidize, the surrounding substrate. The characteristic contraction time to achieve fluidization can be calculated directly from soil properties. The geometry of the fluidized zone is dictated by two commonly-measured geotechnical parameters: coefficient of lateral earth pressure and friction angle. Calculations using full ranges for both parameters indicate that the fluidized zone is a local effect, occurring between 1-5 body radii away from the animal. The energy associated with motion through fluidized substrate-characterized by a depth-independent density and viscosity-scales linearly with depth. In contrast, moving through static soil requires energy that scales with depth squared. For E. directus, this translates to a 10X reduction in the energy required to reach observed burrow depths. For engineers, localized fluidization offers a mechanically simple and purely kinematic method to dramatically reduce energy costs associated with digging. This concept is demonstrated with RoboClam, an E. directus-inspired robot. Using a genetic algorithm to find optimal digging kinematics, RoboClam has achieved localized fluidization burrowing performance comparable to that of the animal, with a linear energy-depth relationship, in both idealized granular glass beads and E. directus' native cohesive mudflat habitat.

Full Text Available The primary measure of the quality of sea surface temperature (SST fields obtained from satellite-borne infrared sensors has been the bias and variance of matchups with co-located in-situ values. Because such matchups tend to be widely separated, these bias and variance estimates are not necessarily a good measure of small scale (several pixels gradients in these fields because one of the primary contributors to the uncertainty in satellite retrievals is atmospheric contamination, which tends to have large spatial scales compared with the pixel separation of infrared sensors. Hence, there is not a good measure to use in selecting SST fields appropriate for the study of submesoscale processes and, in particular, of processes associated with near-surface fronts, both of which have recently seen a rapid increase in interest. In this study, two methods are examined to address this problem, one based on spectra of the SST data and the other on their variograms. To evaluate the methods, instrument noise was estimated in Level-2 Visible-Infrared Imager-Radiometer Suite (VIIRS and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR SST fields of the Sargasso Sea. The two methods provided very nearly identical results for AVHRR: along-scan values of approximately 0.18 K for both day and night and along-track values of 0.21 K for day and night. By contrast, the instrument noise estimated for VIIRS varied by method, scan geometry and day-night. Specifically, daytime, along-scan (along-track, spectral estimates were found to be approximately 0.05 K (0.08 K and the corresponding nighttime values of 0.02 K (0.03 K. Daytime estimates based on the variogram were found to be 0.08 K (0.10 K with the corresponding nighttime values of 0.04 K (0.06 K. Taken together, AVHRR instrument noise is significantly larger than VIIRS instrument noise, along-track noise is larger than along-scan noise and daytime levels are higher than nighttime levels. Given the similarity of

The aim of our work is to generate Earth's gravity field models from the GPS positions of low Earth orbiters. We will present our inversion method and numerical results based on the real-world data of CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE satellites. The presented inversion method is based on Newton's second law of motion, which relates the observed acceleration of the satellite with the forces acting on it. The vector of the observed acceleration is obtained through a numerical second-derivative filter applied to the time series of the kinematic positions. Forces other than those due to the geopotential are either modelled (lunisolar perturbations, tides) or provided by the onboard measurements (nongravitational perturbations). Then the observation equations are formulated using the gradient of the spherical harmonic expansion of the geopotential. From this linear system the harmonic coefficients are directly obtained. We do not use any a priori gravity field model. Although the basic scheme of the acceleration approach is straightforward, the implementation details play a crucial role in obtaining reasonable results. The numerical derivative of noisy data (here the GPS positions) strongly amplifies the high frequency noise and creates autocorrelation in the observation errors. We successfully solve both of these problems by using the generalized least squares method, which defines a linear transformation of the observation equations. In the transformed variables the errors become uncorrelated, so the ordinary least squares estimation may be used to find the regression parameters with correct estimates of their uncertainties. The digital filter of the second derivative is an approximation to the analytical operation. We will show how different the results might be depending on the particular choice of the parameters defining the filter. Another problem is the correlation of the errors in the GPS positions. Here we use the tools from time series analysis. The systematic behaviour

photosymbiosis. We discovered that the mantle tissue of giant clams, which harbours symbiotic nutrition-providing microalgae , contains a layer of iridescent cells...geometrically coupled to the vertically pillared microalgae , resulting in an even re-distribution of the incoming light 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE AND...tissue of giant clams, which harbours symbiotic nutrition-providing microalgae , contains a layer of iridescent cells called iridocytes that serve to

CHAMP and Swarm satellite magnetic data are combined to establish the lithospheric magnetic field over the Tibetan Plateau at satellite altitude by using zonal revised spherical cap harmonic analysis (R-SCHA). These data are integrated with geological structures data to analyze the relationship between magnetic anomaly signals and large-scale geological tectonic over the Tibetan Plateau and to explore the active tectonic region based on the angle of the magnetic anomaly. Results show that the model fitting error is small for a layer 250-500 km high, and the RMSE of the horizontal and radial geomagnetic components is better than 0.3 nT. The proposed model can accurately describe medium- to long-scale lithospheric magnetic anomalies. Analysis indicates that a negative magnetic anomaly in the Tibetan Plateau significantly differs with a positive magnetic anomaly in the surrounding area, and the boundary of the positive and negative regions is generally consistent with the geological tectonic boundary in the plateau region. Significant differences exist between the basement structures of the hinterland of the plateau and the surrounding area. The magnetic anomaly in the Central and Western Tibetan Plateau shows an east-west trend, which is identical to the direction of the geological structures. The magnetic anomaly in the eastern part is arc-shaped and extends along the northeast direction. Its direction is significantly different from the trend of the geological structures. The strongest negative anomaly is located in the Himalaya block, with a central strength of up to -9 nT at a height of 300 km. The presence of a strong negative anomaly implies that the Curie isotherm in this area is relatively shallow and deep geological tectonic activity may exist.

Three weeks after the deadly Bohol earthquake of Mw 7.2, which claimed at least 222 victims, another disaster struck the Philippines. This time, Super Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, devastated the Eastern Visayas islands on 8 November 2013. Its classification as a super typhoon was based on its maximum sustained 1 min surface wind speed of 315 km h-1, which is equivalent to a strong Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. This was one of the deadliest typhoon events in the Philippines' history, after the 1897 and 1912 tropical cyclones. At least 6268 individuals have been reported dead and 1061 people are missing. In addition, a wide area of destruction was observed in the Eastern Visayas, on Samar and Leyte islands. The International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, has deployed several teams for damage recognition, relief support and collaboration with regard to this disaster event. One of the teams, the hazard and damage evaluation team, visited the affected areas in the Eastern Visayas in mid-January 2014. In this paper, we summarize the rapid damage assessment from satellite imagery conducted days after the event and report on the inundation measurements and the damage surveyed in the field. Damage interpretation results by satellite images were qualitatively confirmed for the Tacloban city area on Leyte Island, the most populated city in the Eastern Visayas. During the survey, significant damage was observed from wind and storm surges on poorly designed housing on the east coast of Leyte Island. Damage, mainly from surface waves and winds, was observed on the east coast of Samar Island.

Underground structures can affect their surrounding landscapes in different ways such as soil moisture content, soil composition, vegetation vigour etc. The latest is often observed on the ground as a crop mark; a phenomenon which can be used as a proxy to denote the presence of underground and not visible structures. This paper presents the results obtained from field spectroradiometric campaigns at `buried' underground structures in Cyprus. A SVC-1024 field spectroradiometer was used and in-band reflectances were determined for a variety of medium and high resolution satellite sensors as well as Landsat. A number of vegetation indices such as NDVI were obtained while a `smart index' was developed aiming for the detection of military underground structures following the assessment of the existing vegetation indices or other available band combinations algorithm. Test areas were identified, analyzed and modeled. The areas have been analyzed and tested in different scenarios such as: (a) the `natural state' of the underground structure (b) the different type of crop over the underground structure and imported soil (c) the different types of non-natural material over the underground structure. A reference target in the nearby area was selected. Controllable meteorological and environmental parameters were acquired and monitored. As well, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was also used to survey the area with visible and near-infrared cameras in order to generate NDVI values for comparison to the in-situ spectroradiometric measurements

This paper studies the requirements for a small constellation of satellites to perform measurements of the magnetic field of the Earth and a payload and boom design for such a mission is discussed. After studying communication, power and mass requirements it is found that it is feasible to develop...

DC electric field observations and associated plasma drifts gathered with the Vector Electric Field Investigation on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite typically reveal considerable variation at large scales (approximately 100's of km), in both daytime and nighttime cases, with enhanced structures usually confined to the nightside. Although such electric field structures are typically associated with plasma density depletions and structures, as observed by the Planar Langmuir Probe on C/NOFS, what is surprising is the number of cases in which large amplitude, structured DC electric fields are observed without a significant plasma density counterpart structure, including their appearance at times when the ambient plasma density appears relatively quiescent. We investigate the relationship of such structured DC electric fields and the ambient plasma density in the C/NOFS satellite measurements observed thus far, taking into account both plasma density depletions and enhancements. We investigate the mapping of the electric fields along magnetic field lines from distant altitudes and latitudes to locations where the density structures, which presumably formed the original seat of the electric fields, are no longer discernible in the observations. In some cases, the electric field structures and spectral characteristics appear to mimic those associated with equatorial spread-F processes, providing important clues to their origins. We examine altitude, seasonal, and longitudinal effects in an effort to establish the origin of such structured DC electric fields observed both with, and without, associated plasma density gradients

Observations of Earth’s magnetic field from space began more than 50 years ago. A continuous monitoring of the field using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, however, started only in 1999, and three satellites have taken highprecision measurements of the geomagnetic field during the past decade...... ability to characterize and understand the many sources that contribute to Earth’s magnetic field. In this review, we summarize investigations of Earth’s interior and environment that have been possible through the analysis of high-precision magnetic field observations taken by LEO satellites........ The unprecedented time-space coverage of their data opened revolutionary new possibilities for monitoring, understanding, and exploring Earth’s magnetic field. In the near future, the three-satellite constellation Swarm will ensure continuity of such measurement and provide enhanced possibilities to improve our...

We computed magnetic field gradients at satellite altitude, over Europe with emphasis on the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (KMA). They were calculated using the CHAMP satellite total magnetic anomalies. Our computations were done to determine how the magnetic anomaly data from the new ESA/Swarm satellites could be utilized to determine the structure of the magnetization of the Earths crust, especially in the region of the KMA. Since the ten years of 2 CHAMP data could be used to simulate the Swarm data. An initial East magnetic anomaly gradient map of Europe was computed and subsequently the North, East and Vertical magnetic gradients for the KMA region were calculated. The vertical gradient of the KMA was determined using Hilbert transforms. Inversion of the total KMA was derived using Simplex and Simulated Annealing algorithms. Our resulting inversion depth model is a horizontal quadrangle with upper 300-329 km and lower 331-339 km boundaries.

Full Text Available The Arctic is currently undergoing intense changes in climate; vegetation composition and productivity are expected to respond to such changes. To understand the impacts of climate change on the function of Arctic tundra ecosystems within the global carbon cycle, it is crucial to improve the understanding of vegetation distribution and heterogeneity at multiple scales. Information detailing the fine-scale spatial distribution of tundra communities provided by high resolution vegetation mapping, is needed to understand the relative contributions of and relationships between single vegetation community measurements of greenhouse gas fluxes (e.g., ~1 m chamber flux and those encompassing multiple vegetation communities (e.g., ~300 m eddy covariance measurements. The objectives of this study were: (1 to determine whether dominant Arctic tundra vegetation communities found in different locations are spectrally distinct and distinguishable using field spectroscopy methods; and (2 to test which combination of raw reflectance and vegetation indices retrieved from field and satellite data resulted in accurate vegetation maps and whether these were transferable across locations to develop a systematic method to map dominant vegetation communities within larger eddy covariance tower footprints distributed along a 300 km transect in northern Alaska. We showed vegetation community separability primarily in the 450–510 nm, 630–690 nm and 705–745 nm regions of the spectrum with the field spectroscopy data. This is line with the different traits of these arctic tundra communities, with the drier, often non-vascular plant dominated communities having much higher reflectance in the 450–510 nm and 630–690 nm regions due to the lack of photosynthetic material, whereas the low reflectance values of the vascular plant dominated communities highlight the strong light absorption found here. High classification accuracies of 92% to 96% were achieved using

It is generally agreed today that the knowledge of the interaction between atmosphere and ocean is essential for understanding climate and ocean circulation, especially in tropical regions where the oceans are mainly and quickly influenced by wind action. The wind stress is the primary force driving the topical oceans from daily to interannual time scales. Conventional measurements from ships of the wind vectors are not available with a sufficient quality regarding the data accuracy as well as their coverage. Satellite observations of the surface wind over the sea are now available on a routine basis at the Institut Francais de Recherche pour l`Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), derived from the European Remote Sensing-1 (ERS-1) scatterometer and altimeter and from the radiometer Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I). More than 3 years of weekly stress fields (1991--1994) with a resolution of one degree in latitude and longitude are produced using an objective analysis method. The accuracy of these gridded winds was evaluated by comparison with TAO buoys in the tropical Pacific area (Riou, 1995). The root mean square differences are of the order of 1.2 m/s and 15 degrees. The greatest differences are observed in the TOGA/COARE region where the wind variability is largest on the weekly scale. The low frequencies (monthly to interannual) of the wind variability are discussed and compared to those obtained from the TAO buoys. In this paper the time and space scales of the sea surface wind are described using a complex EOF analysis. One of the most interesting results is that the weekly averaged wind fields derived from ERS-1 scatterometer are useful to depict a 30--50-day oscillation over the tropical Pacific ocean.

China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel is considered to be the main candidate material for the first wall components of future fusion reactors in China. In this paper, the low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of CLAM steel is studied under fully reversed tension–compression loading at 823 K in air. Total strain amplitude was controlled from 0.14% to 1.8% with a constant strain rate of 2.4×10{sup −3} s{sup −1}. The corresponding plastic strain amplitude ranged from 0.023% to 1.613%. The CLAM steel displayed continuous softening to failure at 823 K. The relationship between strain, stress and fatigue life was obtained using the parameters obtained from fatigue tests. The LCF properties of CLAM steel at 823 K followed Coffin–Manson relationship. Furthermore, irregular serration was observed on the stress–strain hysteresis loops of CLAM steel tested with the total strain amplitude of 0.45–1.8%, which was attributed to the dynamic strain aging (DSA) effect. During continuous cyclic deformation, the microstructure and precipitate distribution of CLAM steel changed gradually. Many tempered martensitic laths were decomposed into subgrains, and the size and number of M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbide and MX carbonitride precipitates decreased with the increase of total strain amplitude. The response cyclic stress promoted the recovery of martensitic lath, while the thermal activation mainly played an important role on the growth of precipitates in CLAM steel at 823 K. In order to have a better understanding of high-temperature LCF behavior, the potential mechanisms controlling stress–strain response, DSA phenomenon and microstructure changes have also been evaluated.

Low Earth orbiting geomagnetic satellite missions, such as the Swarm satellite mission, are the only means to monitor and investigate ionospheric currents on a global scale and to make in situ measurements of F region currents. High-precision geomagnetic satellite missions are also able to detect ionospheric currents during quiet-time geomagnetic conditions that only have few nanotesla amplitudes in the magnetic field. An efficient method to isolate the ionospheric signals from satellite magnetic field measurements has been the use of residuals between the observations and predictions from empirical geomagnetic models for other geomagnetic sources, such as the core and lithospheric field or signals from the quiet-time magnetospheric currents. This study aims at highlighting the importance of high-resolution magnetic field models that are able to predict the lithospheric field and that consider the quiet-time magnetosphere for reliably isolating signatures from ionospheric currents during geomagnetically quiet times. The effects on the detection of ionospheric currents arising from neglecting the lithospheric and magnetospheric sources are discussed on the example of four Swarm orbits during very quiet times. The respective orbits show a broad range of typical scenarios, such as strong and weak ionospheric signal (during day- and nighttime, respectively) superimposed over strong and weak lithospheric signals. If predictions from the lithosphere or magnetosphere are not properly considered, the amplitude of the ionospheric currents, such as the midlatitude Sq currents or the equatorial electrojet (EEJ), is modulated by 10-15 % in the examples shown. An analysis from several orbits above the African sector, where the lithospheric field is significant, showed that the peak value of the signatures of the EEJ is in error by 5 % in average when lithospheric contributions are not considered, which is in the range of uncertainties of present empirical models of the EEJ.

Most experimental procedures on molluscs are done after acclimatization of wild animals to lab conditions. Similarly, short-term acclimation is often unavoidable in a field survey when biological analysis cannot be done within the day of sample collection. However, acclimatization can affect the general physiological condition and particularly the immune cell responses of molluscs. Our aim was to study the changes in the hemocyte characteristics of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and the carpet shell clam Ruditapes decussatus acclimated 1 or 2 days under emersed conditions at 14 ± 1 °C and for 1, 2, 7, or 10 days to flowing seawater conditions (submerged) at 9 ± 1 °C, when compared to hemolymph withdrawn from organisms sampled in the field and immediately analyzed in the laboratory (unacclimated). The hemocyte characteristics assessed by flow cytometry were the total (THC) and differential hemocyte count, percentage of dead cells, phagocytosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Dead hemocytes were lower in oysters acclimated both in emersed and submerged conditions (1%-5%) compared to those sampled in the field (7%). Compared to oysters, the percentage of dead hemocytes was lower in clams (0.4% vs. 1.1%) and showed a tendency to decrease during acclimatization in both emersed and submerged conditions. In comparison to organisms not acclimated, the phagocytosis of hemocytes decreased in both oysters and clams acclimated under submerged conditions, but was similar in those acclimated in emersed conditions. The ROS production remained stable in both oysters and clams acclimated in emersed conditions, whereas in submerged conditions ROS production did not change in both the hyalinocytes and granulocytes of oysters, but increased in clams. In oysters, the THC decreased when they were acclimated 1 and 2 days in submerged conditions and was mainly caused by a decrease in granulocytes, but the decrease in THC in oysters acclimated 2 days in emersed

Maintaining food production while sustaining productive ecosystems is among the central challenges of our time, yet, it has been for millennia. Ancient clam gardens, intertidal rock-walled terraces constructed by humans during the late Holocene, are thought to have improved the growing conditions for clams. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the beach slope, intertidal height, and biomass and density of bivalves at replicate clam garden and non-walled clam beaches in British Columbia, Canada. We also quantified the variation in growth and survival rates of littleneck clams (Leukoma staminea) we experimentally transplanted across these two beach types. We found that clam gardens had significantly shallower slopes than non-walled beaches and greater densities of L. staminea and Saxidomus giganteus, particularly at smaller size classes. Overall, clam gardens contained 4 times as many butter clams and over twice as many littleneck clams relative to non-walled beaches. As predicted, this relationship varied as a function of intertidal height, whereby clam density and biomass tended to be greater in clam gardens compared to non-walled beaches at relatively higher intertidal heights. Transplanted juvenile L. staminea grew 1.7 times faster and smaller size classes were more likely to survive in clam gardens than non-walled beaches, specifically at the top and bottom of beaches. Consequently, we provide strong evidence that ancient clam gardens likely increased clam productivity by altering the slope of soft-sediment beaches, expanding optimal intertidal clam habitat, thereby enhancing growing conditions for clams. These results reveal how ancient shellfish aquaculture practices may have supported food security strategies in the past and provide insight into tools for the conservation, management, and governance of intertidal seascapes today.

Full Text Available Maintaining food production while sustaining productive ecosystems is among the central challenges of our time, yet, it has been for millennia. Ancient clam gardens, intertidal rock-walled terraces constructed by humans during the late Holocene, are thought to have improved the growing conditions for clams. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the beach slope, intertidal height, and biomass and density of bivalves at replicate clam garden and non-walled clam beaches in British Columbia, Canada. We also quantified the variation in growth and survival rates of littleneck clams (Leukoma staminea we experimentally transplanted across these two beach types. We found that clam gardens had significantly shallower slopes than non-walled beaches and greater densities of L. staminea and Saxidomus giganteus, particularly at smaller size classes. Overall, clam gardens contained 4 times as many butter clams and over twice as many littleneck clams relative to non-walled beaches. As predicted, this relationship varied as a function of intertidal height, whereby clam density and biomass tended to be greater in clam gardens compared to non-walled beaches at relatively higher intertidal heights. Transplanted juvenile L. staminea grew 1.7 times faster and smaller size classes were more likely to survive in clam gardens than non-walled beaches, specifically at the top and bottom of beaches. Consequently, we provide strong evidence that ancient clam gardens likely increased clam productivity by altering the slope of soft-sediment beaches, expanding optimal intertidal clam habitat, thereby enhancing growing conditions for clams. These results reveal how ancient shellfish aquaculture practices may have supported food security strategies in the past and provide insight into tools for the conservation, management, and governance of intertidal seascapes today.

Measurements of the constant electric field vector in the region of the midlatitude ionospheric trough have been obtained using the IESP-IPMP electromagnetic instrument complex on board the Intercosmos-Bulgaria 1300 satellite. Electromagnetic field data for the nighttime four-hour period of quiet geomagnetic conditions are analyzed, and the results are discussed. It is shown that the midlatitude plasma-density trough is due less to local electric field conditions than to plasma temperature variations and charged particle flows in other parts of the ionosphere.

Aquaculture and hatchery industries are in need of effective control methods to reduce the risk of spreading aquatic invasive species, such as the Asian clam Corbicula fluminea, through aquaculture and hatchery activities. The planktonic nature of Asian clam veligers enables this life stage to enter water-based infrastructure undetected, including hatchery trucks used to stock fish. Once in hatchery trucks, veligers can disperse overland and establish in previously uninvaded habitats. As a result, there is a need to develop techniques that result in veliger mortality but do not harm fish. In September 2012, we conducted laboratory trials to determine if a molluscicide (750 mg/L potassium chloride and 25 mg/L formalin) commonly used to kill zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) veligers in hatchery trucks can also effectively kill Asian clam veligers. We exposed Asian clam veligers to this molluscicide for 1, 3, and 5 h in each of two water types: deionized water and filtered lake water. We found ,20% mortality at the 1-h exposure period and 100% mortality at both the 3-h and 5-h exposure periods, regardless of water type. This laboratory study represents an important step toward reducing the spread of Asian clams by aquaculture facilities.

Noroviruses (NoVs) are widespread causes of nonbacterial gastroenteritis.Outbreaks of NoVs caused diseases are commonly ascribed to the consumption of contaminated shellfish.The concentration and RNA extraction of NoVs are crucial steps of detecting NoVs in shellfish.This study aimed to select a simple,rapid and highly efficient recovery method of NoVs detection with real-time RT-PCR.Four methods of recovering GI.3 and GII.4 NoVs from spiked digestive tissues of oysters and clams,respectively,were compared,of them,the method involving proteinase K and PEG 8000 was found the most efficient.With this method,9.3％ and 13.1％ of GI.3 and GII.4 NoVs were recovered from oysters and 9.6％ and 12.3％ of GI.3 and GII.4 NoVs were recovered from clams,respectively.This method was further used to detect NoVs in 84 oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and 86 clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) collected from 10 coastal cities in China from Jan.2011 to Feb.2012.The NoVs isolation rates were 10.47％ of clams (9/86) and 7.14％ of oysters (6/84).All the detected NoVs belonged to genotype GII.The NoVs recovery method selected is efficient for NoVs detection in oysters and clams.

Noroviruses (NoVs) are widespread causes of nonbacterial gastroenteritis. Outbreaks of NoVs caused diseases are commonly ascribed to the consumption of contaminated shellfish. The concentration and RNA extraction of NoVs are crucial steps of detecting NoVs in shellfish. This study aimed to select a simple, rapid and highly efficient recovery method of NoVs detection with real-time RT-PCR. Four methods of recovering GI.3 and GII.4 NoVs from spiked digestive tissues of oysters and clams, respectively, were compared, of them, the method involving proteinase K and PEG 8000 was found the most efficient. With this method, 9.3% and 13.1% of GI.3 and GII.4 NoVs were recovered from oysters and 9.6% and 12.3% of GI.3 and GII.4 NoVs were recovered from clams, respectively. This method was further used to detect NoVs in 84 oysters ( Crassostrea gigas) and 86 clams ( Ruditapes philippinarum) collected from 10 coastal cities in China from Jan. 2011 to Feb. 2012. The NoVs isolation rates were 10.47% of clams (9/86) and 7.14% of oysters (6/84). All the detected NoVs belonged to genotype GII. The NoVs recovery method selected is efficient for NoVs detection in oysters and clams.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset includes telemetry data related to the development and testing of an animal-borne satellite-linked fluorometer tag, used on northern fur seals and...

This paper will describe the use of digital Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) to contribute to advancing the state-of-the-art in software defined radio (SDR) transponder design for the emerging SmallSat and CubeSat industry and to provide advances for NASA as described in the TAO5 Communication and Navigation Roadmap (Ref 4). The use of software defined radios (SDR) has been around for a long time. A typical implementation of the SDR is to use a processor and write software to implement all the functions of filtering, carrier recovery, error correction, framing etc. Even with modern high speed and low power digital signal processors, high speed memories, and efficient coding, the compute intensive nature of digital filters, error correcting and other algorithms is too much for modern processors to get efficient use of the available bandwidth to the ground. By using FPGAs, these compute intensive tasks can be done in parallel, pipelined fashion and more efficiently use every clock cycle to significantly increase throughput while maintaining low power. These methods will implement digital radios with significant data rates in the X and Ka bands. Using these state-of-the-art technologies, unprecedented uplink and downlink capabilities can be achieved in a 1/2 U sized telemetry system. Additionally, modern FPGAs have embedded processing systems, such as ARM cores, integrated inside the FPGA allowing mundane tasks such as parameter commanding to occur easily and flexibly. Potential partners include other NASA centers, industry and the DOD. These assets are associated with small satellite demonstration flights, LEO and deep space applications. MSFC currently has an SDR transponder test-bed using Hardware-in-the-Loop techniques to evaluate and improve SDR technologies.

A precise characterisation of the red giants in the seismology fields of the CoRoT satellite is a prerequisite for further in-depth seismic modelling. The optical spectra obtained for 19 targets have been used to accurately estimate their fundamental parameters and chemical composition. The extent of internal mixing is also investigated through the abundances of Li, CNO and Na (as well as 12C/13C in a few cases).

Full Text Available The lunar gravity field provides a way to research moon's evolution and probes the interior structure of the moon. It is an important factor influencing the lunar satellite precise orbit determination as well. The new lunar gravity model GL0660B from GRAIL mission dramatically improves the gravity spectrum and spectral ranges. Using the model GL0660B, it can be computed that the corresponding degree-wise RMS and correlation of topography, with which the quality of model GL0660B can be analyzed. Then different characters of the lunar gravity field comparing with other lunar gravity fields are analyzed. Besides, gravity anomaly distribution figures at different height of the models are given, and the character and difference of the lunar gravity models at different height are compared. In addition, lunar satellite orbit revolutionary at different height are modeled by GEODYN. The result shows that the trend of lunar satellite eccentricity changes is a complex and long cycle of change trend. It is different affected by the perturbation of the mascons of different height, which causes different changes of apolune, perilune and eccentricity.

Almost one year of data from ESA's Swarm constellation mission are used to derive a model of the Earth’s magnetic field and its time variation (secular variation). The model describes contributions from the core and lithosphere as well as large-scale contributions from the magnetosphere (and its......) frame. In addition to the magnetic field observations provided by each of the three Swarm satellites we include the East-west magnetic gradient information provided by the lower Swarm satellite pair, thereby explicitly taking advantage of the constellation aspect of Swarm. We assess the spatial...... Earth-induced counterpart). We use data from geomagnetic quiet times (Kp less than 2o, time change of Dst-index less than 2 nT/hr) and dark regions (sun below horizon) and co-estimate the Euler angles describing the rotation between the vector magnetometer instrument frame and the North-East-Center (NEC...

A program for China low activation martensitic steel (CLAM) development has been underway since 2001 to satisfy the material requirements of the test blanket module (TBM) for ITER, China fusion engineering test reactor and China fusion demonstration reactor. It has been undertaken by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences under wide domestic and international collaborations. Extensive work and efforts are being devoted to the R&D of CLAM, such as mechanical property evaluation before and after neutron irradiation, fabrication of scaled TBM by welding and additive manufacturing, improvement of its irradiation resistance as well as high temperature properties by precipitate strengthening to achieve its final successful application in fusion systems. The status and improvement of CLAM are introduced in this paper.

The microstructure change of CLAM steel during creep testing process was investigated at the temperature of 923K with different stress. The results show that the fragmentation and polygonization of martensite lath, as well as the degeneration of dislocation structure are the main factors to deteriorate the creep performance. The stability of MX precipitates in CLAM steel during high temperature creep is good, but the amount and size of M23C6 precipitates are increased. The Laves phase was not found in all samples, which may be due to the experimental temperature is close to the dissolution temperature of Laves phase. The higher temperature accelerates the microstructure evolution of CLAM steel, which results in the degradation of creep properties.

An approach was developed for the verification of method performance of the AOAC 2005.06 LC-fluorescence detector (FLD) method for determination of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in bivalve shellfish. This was developed following advice published by the Analytical Laboratory Accreditation Criteria Committee and applied to shellfish species that had not been previously subjected to a full single-laboratory validation scheme. The refined approach was developed following the need to assess performance in a number of shellfish species infrequently monitored through the UK statutory monitoring program, while reducing the impact and cost of the studies, most notably in terms of the use of valuable reference standards. The species assessed were manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum), European otter clams (Lutraria lutraria), grooved carpet shell clams (R. decussatus), surf clams (Spisula solida), and king scallops (Pecten maximus) presented as adductor only or adductor plus roe. The method was assessed for sensitivity in terms of LOD and LOQ, toxin recovery, and method precision in each species. It incorporated the PSP toxins deemed toxic and/or prevalent in UK samples and commercially available as certified reference standards. The toxins studied included GTX1-5, dcSTX, STX, C1&2, and NEO. The toxins dcGTX2&3 were included for surf clams due to the prevalence of these toxins in this species as a result of toxin decarbamoylation. Method performance targets were met for each of the characteristics investigated. Consequently, the method was deemed fit for purpose for the screening and quantification of these clam and scallop species for PSP toxins by AOAC Method 2005.06 LC-FLD.

This IOP has been a coordinated effort involving the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation (ARM) Climate Research Facility, the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, and the JPSS project to validate SNPP NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) temperature and moisture sounding products from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). In this arrangement, funding for radiosondes was provided by the JPSS project to ARM. These radiosondes were launched coincident with the SNPP satellite overpasses (OP) at four of the ARM field sites beginning in July 2012 and running through September 2017. Combined with other ARM data, an assessment of the radiosonde data quality was performed and post-processing corrections applied producing an ARM site Best Estimate (BE) product. The SNPP targeted radiosondes were integrated into the NOAA Products Validation System (NPROVS+) system, which collocated the radiosondes with satellite products (NOAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites [EUMETSAT], Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite [GOES], Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate [COSMIC]) and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP forecasts for use in product assessment and algorithm development. This work was a fundamental, integral, and cost-effective part of the SNPP validation effort and provided critical accuracy assessments of the SNPP temperature and water vapor soundings.

The field of satellite communications represents the world's largest space industry. Those who are interested in space need to understand the fundamentals of satellite communications, its technology, operation, business, economic, and regulatory aspects. This book explains all this along with key insights into the field's future growth trends and current strategic challenges. Fundamentals of Satellite Communications is a concise book that gives all of the key facts and figures as well as a strategic view of where this dynamic industry is going. Author Joseph N. Pelton, PhD, former Dean of the International Space University and former Director of Strategic Policy at Intelstat, presents a r

An advanced Man-Interactive image and data processing system (AOIPS) was developed to extract basic meteorological parameters from satellite data and to perform further analyses. The errors in the satellite derived cloud wind fields for tropical cyclones are investigated. The propagation of these errors through the AOIPS system and their effects on the analysis of horizontal divergence and relative vorticity are evaluated.

Performance of a recently proposed technique for gravity field modeling has been assessed with data from the CHAMP satellite. The modeling technique is a variant of the acceleration approach. It makes use of the satellite accelerations that are derived from the kinematic orbit with the 3-point

Skeletal muscle regeneration is mainly enabled by a population of adult stem cells known as satellite cells. Satellite cells have been shown to be indispensable for adult skeletal muscle repair and regeneration. In the last two decades, other stem/progenitor cell populations resident in the skeletal muscle interstitium have been identified as "collaborators" of satellite cells during regeneration. They also appear to have a key role in replacing skeletal muscle with adipose, fibrous, or bone tissue in pathological conditions. Here, we review the role and known functions of these different interstitial skeletal muscle cell types and discuss their role in skeletal muscle tissue homeostasis, regeneration, and disease, including their therapeutic potential for cell transplantation protocols.

Satellite attitude accuracy is an important factor affecting the geometric processing accuracy of high-resolution optical satellite imagery. To address the problem whereby the accuracy of the Yaogan-24 remote sensing satellite's on-board attitude data processing is not high enough and thus cannot meet its image geometry processing requirements, we developed an approach involving on-ground attitude data processing and digital orthophoto (DOM) and the digital elevation model (DEM) verification of a geometric calibration field. The approach focuses on three modules: on-ground processing based on bidirectional filter, overall weighted smoothing and fitting, and evaluation in the geometric calibration field. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed on-ground processing method is both robust and feasible, which ensures the reliability of the observation data quality, convergence and stability of the parameter estimation model. In addition, both the Euler angle and quaternion could be used to build a mathematical fitting model, while the orthogonal polynomial fitting model is more suitable for modeling the attitude parameter. Furthermore, compared to the image geometric processing results based on on-board attitude data, the image uncontrolled and relative geometric positioning result accuracy can be increased by about 50%.

Surface preparation is essential for the Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) diffusion bonding of RAFM steels. Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) diffusion bonding experiments on China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel was performed to study the effect of surface preparation. A few approaches such as hand lapping, dry-milling and grinding etc., were used to prepare the faying surfaces of the HIP joints. Different sealing techniques were used as well. The HIP parameters were 150 MPa/3 h/1150 °C. After post HIP heat treatment (PHHT), the tensile and Charpy impact tests were carried out. The results showed that hand lapping was not suitable to prepare the faying surfaces of HIP diffusion bonding specimens although the surface roughness by hand lapping was very low.

Satellite Data Compression covers recent progress in compression techniques for multispectral, hyperspectral and ultra spectral data. A survey of recent advances in the fields of satellite communications, remote sensing and geographical information systems is included. Satellite Data Compression, contributed by leaders in this field, is the first book available on satellite data compression. It covers onboard compression methodology and hardware developments in several space agencies. Case studies are presented on recent advances in satellite data compression techniques via various prediction-

Low latitude magnetic field variations (magnetic storms) caused by large fluctuations in the equatorial ring current were derived from magnetic field magnitude data obtained by OGO 2, 4, and 6 satellites over an almost 5 year period. Analysis procedures consisted of (1) separating the disturbance field into internal and external parts relative to the surface of the Earth; (2) estimating the response function which related to the internally generated magnetic field variations to the external variations due to the ring current; and (3) interpreting the estimated response function using theoretical response functions for known conductivity profiles. Special consideration is given to possible ocean effects. A temperature profile is proposed using conductivity temperature data for single crystal olivine. The resulting temperature profile is reasonable for depths below 150-200 km, but is too high for shallower depths. Apparently, conductivity is not controlled solely by olivine at shallow depths.

the lithospheric signal is contaminated by much larger and highly time-dependent contributions from sources in the ionosphere and magnetosphere. Simultaneous, high-quality measurements from different locations as well as gradient estimates provided by the three Swarm satellites open new possibilities...

The magnetospheric electron precipitation along the upward field-aligned currents without the potential difference causes diffuse aurora, and the magnetospheric electrons accelerated by a field-aligned potential difference cause the intense and bright type of aurora, namely discrete aurora. In this study, we are trying to find out when and where the aurora can be caused with or without electron acceleration. We statistically investigate electron density, temperature, thermal current, and conductivity in the plasma sheet using the data from the electrostatic analyzer (ESA) onboard the THEMIS-D satellite launched in 2007. According to Knight (Planet. Space Sci., 1973) and Lyons (JGR, 1980), the thermal current, jth(∝ nT^(1/2) where n is electron density and T is electron temperature in the plasma sheet), represents the upper limit to field aligned current that can be carried by magnetospheric electrons without field-aligned potential difference. The conductivity, K(∝ nT^(-1/2)), represents the efficiency of the upward field-aligned current (j) that the field-aligned potential difference (V) can produce (j=KV). Therefore, estimating jth and K in the plasma sheet is important in understanding the ability of plasma sheet electrons to carry the field-aligned current which is driven by various magnetospheric processes such as flow shear and azimuthal pressure gradient. Similar study was done by Shiokawa et al. (2000) based on the auroral electron data obtained by the DMSP satellites above the auroral oval and the AMPTE/IRM satellite in the near Earth plasma sheet at 10-18 Re on February-June 1985 and March-June 1986 during the solar minimum. The purpose of our study is to examine auroral electrons with pitch angle information inside 12 Re where Shiokawa et al. (2000) did not investigate well. For preliminary result, we found that in the dawn side inner magnetosphere (source of the region 2 current), electrons can make sufficient thermal current without field

The China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel is being developed at the Institute of Nuclear Energy Safety Technology (INEST) under wide collaboration within China. Significant R and D work on CLAM steel was carried out to help make it suitable for industrial applications. The effect of refining processes and thermal aging on composition, microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated. Material properties before irradiation including impact, fracture toughness, thermal aging, creep and fatigue properties etc. were assessed. A series of irradiation tests in the fission reactor HFETR in Chengdu up to 2 dpa and in the spallation neutron source SINQ in Paul Scherrer Institute up to 20 dpa were performed. PbLi corrosion tests for more than 10,000 h were done in the DRAGON-I and PICOLO loops. Fabrication techniques for a test blanket module (TBM) are being developed and a 1/3 scale TBM prototype is being fabricated with CLAM steel. Recent progresses on the development status of this steel are presented here. The code qualification of CLAM steel is under plan for its final application in ITER-TBM and DEMO in the future.

'Giant' tridacnid clams have evolved a three-dimensional, spatially efficient, photodamage-preventing system for photosymbiosis. We discovered that the mantle tissue of giant clams, which harbours symbiotic nutrition-providing microalgae, contains a layer of iridescent cells called iridocytes that serve to distribute photosynthetically productive wavelengths by lateral and forward-scattering of light into the tissue while back-reflecting non-productive wavelengths with a Bragg mirror. The wavelength- and angle-dependent scattering from the iridocytes is geometrically coupled to the vertically pillared microalgae, resulting in an even re-distribution of the incoming light along the sides of the pillars, thus enabling photosynthesis deep in the tissue. There is a physical analogy between the evolved function of the clam system and an electric transformer, which changes energy flux per area in a system while conserving total energy. At incident light levels found on shallow coral reefs, this arrangement may allow algae within the clam system to both efficiently use all incident solar energy and avoid the photodamage and efficiency losses due to non-photochemical quenching that occur in the reef-building coral photosymbiosis. Both intra-tissue radiometry and multiscale optical modelling support our interpretation of the system's photophysics. This highly evolved 'three-dimensional' biophotonic system suggests a strategy for more efficient, damage-resistant photovoltaic materials and more spatially efficient solar production of algal biofuels, foods and chemicals.

China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel is a leading candidate material for construction of the Chinese fusion reactor Test Blanket Module. The Simulated HAZ Continuous Cooling Transformation (SHCCT) diagram is developed via physical simulation, and the effects of thermal history on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld coarse-grain heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) in CLAM steel are evaluated. The results of thermal cycle simulation show that grain size increases and hardness decreases gradually with increasing heat input. Under certain conditions, especially when cooling times from 800 °C to 500 °C (T8/5) are larger than 136 s, delta ferrite may form which is deleterious for the TBM application. The amounts of delta ferrite are given under different T8/5. A SHCCT diagram of CLAM steel is developed using dilatometry and it predicts the AC1, AC3 and the Ms temperatures. With decreased cooling rate (larger T8/5), martensite laths widen and carbide precipitates grow. The results indicate that welding heat input should be taken into consideration and controlled in practical CLAM steel welding process applications.

China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel is a leading candidate material for construction of the Chinese fusion reactor Test Blanket Module. The Simulated HAZ Continuous Cooling Transformation (SHCCT) diagram is developed via physical simulation, and the effects of thermal history on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld coarse-grain heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) in CLAM steel are evaluated. The results of thermal cycle simulation show that grain size increases and hardness decreases gradually with increasing heat input. Under certain conditions, especially when cooling times from 800 Degree-Sign C to 500 Degree-Sign C (T8/5) are larger than 136 s, delta ferrite may form which is deleterious for the TBM application. The amounts of delta ferrite are given under different T8/5. A SHCCT diagram of CLAM steel is developed using dilatometry and it predicts the AC1, AC3 and the Ms temperatures. With decreased cooling rate (larger T8/5), martensite laths widen and carbide precipitates grow. The results indicate that welding heat input should be taken into consideration and controlled in practical CLAM steel welding process applications.

Initial results of the electric and magnetic field observations from the DE-2 satellite show a remarkably good correlation between the north-south component of the electric field and the east-west component of the magnetic field in many passes of the field-aligned current regions. For a dayside cusp pass on August 15, 1981 the coefficient of correlation between these components was 0.996. A preliminary inspection of the available data from the first 6 months of the DE operation indicates that the similarity between the electric and magnetic field signatures of the field-aligned currents is a commonly observed feature at all local times. This high correlation is interpreted to be an indication that the closure of the field-aligned current is essentially meridional. When the correlation between these components is not good, the closure current is likely to be flowing along the auroral belt. When the correlation between the electric and magnetic fields is high, it is possible to estimate the height-integrated Pedersen conductivity from the observed field components.

Perturbations of satellite orbits in the gravitational field of a body with a mass monopole and arbitrary spin multipole moments are considered for an axisymmetric and stationary situation. Periodic and secular effects caused by the central gravitomagnetic field are derived by a first order perturbation theory. For a central spin-dipole field these results reduce to the well known Lense-Thirring effects.

Full Text Available Ocean color remote sensing significantly contributes to our understanding of phytoplankton distribution and abundance and primary productivity in the Southern Ocean (SO. However, the current SO in situ optical database is still insufficient and unevenly distributed. This limits the ability to produce robust and accurate measurements of satellite-based chlorophyll. Based on data collected on cruises around the Antarctica Peninsula (AP on January 2014 and 2016, this research intends to enhance our knowledge of SO water and atmospheric optical characteristics and address satellite algorithm deficiency of ocean color products. We collected high resolution in situ water leaving reflectance (±1 nm band resolution, simultaneous in situ chlorophyll-a concentrations and satellite (MODIS and VIIRS water leaving reflectance. Field samples show that clouds have a great impact on the visible green bands and are difficult to detect because NASA protocols apply the NIR band as a cloud contamination threshold. When compared to global case I water, water around the AP has lower water leaving reflectance and a narrower blue-green band ratio, which explains chlorophyll-a underestimation in high chlorophyll-a regions and overestimation in low chlorophyll-a regions. VIIRS shows higher spatial coverage and detection accuracy than MODIS. After coefficient improvement, VIIRS is able to predict chlorophyll a with 53% accuracy.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Numerical models have proven integral to the study of climate dynamics. Sea ice models are critical to the improvement of general circulation models used to study the global climate. The object of this study is to evaluate a high resolution ice-ocean coupled model by comparing it to derived measurements from SMMR and SSM/I satellite observations. Utilized for this study was the NASA Goddard Space Flight (GSFC) Sea Ice Concentration Dat...

Lunar spherical harmonic gravity coefficients are estimated from simulated observations of a near-circular low altitude polar orbiter disturbed by lunar mascons. Lunar gravity sensing missions using earth-based nearside observations with and without satellite-based far-side observations are simulated and least squares maximum likelihood estimates are developed for spherical harmonic expansion fit models. Simulations and parameter estimations are performed by a modified version of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Planetary Ephemeris Program. Two different lunar spacecraft mission phases are simulated to evaluate the estimated fit models. Results for predicting state covariances one orbit ahead are presented along with the state errors resulting from the mismodeled gravity field. The position errors from planning a lunar landing maneuver with a mismodeled gravity field are also presented. These simulations clearly demonstrate the need to include observations of satellite motion over the far side in estimating the lunar gravity field. The simulations also illustrate that the eighth degree and order expansions used in the simulated fits were unable to adequately model lunar mascons.

There are presently four freshwater bivalves in the United States that produce larvae or veligers commonly found in the water column: two forms of Asian clams and two species of dreissenids. Portions of the geographic range of three of these bivalves, one species of Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), and quagga mussels (Dreissena rosteriformis bugensis), overlap, causing problems with larval identification. To determine which characteristics can be used to separate larval forms, adult Asian clams, quaggas, and zebra mussels were brought into the laboratory and induced to spawn, and the resulting larvae were reared. Hybrids between quaggas and zebra mussels were also produced, but not reared to maturity. Characteristics allowing for the most rapid and accurate separation of larvae were hinge length, shell length/height, shell shape, shell size, and the presence or absence of a foot and velum. These characteristics were observed in laboratory-reared larvae of known parentage and field-caught larvae of unknown parentage. In most cases, larvae of the Asian clam can be readily separated from those produced by either type of dreissenid on the basis of shell size and presence of a foot. Separating the gametes and embryos of the two types of dreissenids is not possible, but after shell formation, most of the larval stages can be distinguished. Hinge length, shell length/height, and the similarity in size of the shell valves can be used to separate straight-hinged, umbonal, pediveliger, and plantigrade larvae. Quagga × zebra mussel hybrids show characteristics of both parents and are difficult to identify.

Since production started on the satellitefields Statfjord Nord and East in 1995 and 1994, respectively, some opportunities for improvement have been discovered and realized both with respect to the subsea systems and the operational routines and philosophy. This presentation discusses the improvement projects. It is known from experience that creative ideas usually originate at the interfaces between supplier/customer, engineers with different backgrounds, or between different technologies. The interface between supplier and operator is very important for discovering creative solutions. The interface between Statoil and the suppliers of underwater equipment is not sufficiently well developed on the operational side.

Corals and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) are typically found in highly dynamic environments where the magnitude and types of physical and biological processes controlling their distribution, diversity and function changes dramatically. Recent advances in the types of satellite image data and the length of their archives that are available globally, coupled with new techniques for extracting environmental information from these data sets has enabled significant advances to be made in our ability to map and monitor coral and SAV environments. Object Based Image Analysis techniques are one of the most significant advances in information extraction techniques for processing images to deliver environmental information at multiple spatial scales. This poster demonstrates OBIA applied to high spatial resolution satellite image data to map and monitor coral and SAV communities across a variety of environments in the Western Pacific that vary in their extent, biological composition, forcing physical factors and location. High spatial resolution satellite imagery (Quickbird, Ikonos and Worldview2) were acquired coincident with field surveys on each reef to collect georeferenced benthic photo transects, over various areas in the Western Pacific. Base line maps were created, from Roviana Lagoon Solomon island (600 km2), Bikini Atoll Marshall Island (800 Km2), Lizard Island, Australia (30 km2) and time series maps for geomorphic and benthic communities were collected for Heron Reef, Australia (24 km2) and Eastern Banks area of Moreton Bay, Australia (200 km2). The satellite image data were corrected for radiometric and atmospheric distortions to at-surface reflectance. Georeferenced benthic photos were acquired by divers or Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, analysed for benthic cover composition, and used for calibration and validation purposes. Hierarchical mapping from: reef/non-reef (1000's - 10000's m); reef type (100's - 1000's m); 'geomorphic zone' (10's - 100's m); to

Recent drastic reduction of the older perennial sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has resulted in a vast expansion of younger and saltier seasonal sea ice. This increase in the salinity of the overall ice cover could impact tropospheric chemical processes. Springtime perennial ice extent in 2008 and 2009 broke the half-century record minimum in 2007 by about one million km2. In both years seasonal ice was dominant across the Beaufort Sea extending to the Amundsen Gulf, where significant field and satellite observations of sea ice, temperature, and atmospheric chemicals have been made. Measurements at the site of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen ice breaker in the Amundsen Gulf showed events of increased bromine monoxide (BrO), coupled with decreases of ozone (O3) and gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), during cold periods in March 2008. The timing of the main event of BrO, O3, and GEM changes was found to be consistent with BrO observed by satellites over an extensive area around the site. Furthermore, satellite sensors detected a doubling of atmospheric BrO in a vortex associated with a spiral rising air pattern. In spring 2009, excessive and widespread bromine explosions occurred in the same region while the regional air temperature was low and the extent of perennial ice was significantly reduced compared to the case in 2008. Using satellite observations together with a Rising-Air-Parcel model, we discover a topographic control on BrO distribution such that the Alaskan North Slope and the Canadian Shield region were exposed to elevated BrO, whereas the surrounding mountains isolated the Alaskan interior from bromine intrusion.

Asian dust events occur frequently during the boreal spring season. Their optical properties have been analyzed by using a combination of source region (ground-based and satellite) and remote Pacific Ocean (aircraft) measurements during the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-Phase B (INTEX-B) field campaign which lasted from 7 April to 15 May 2006. A strong dust event originating from the Gobi Desert and passing over the Xianghe surface site on 17 April 2006 has been extensively analyzed. The surface averaged aerosol optical depth (AOD) values increased from 0.17 (clear sky) to 4.0 (strong dust), and the Angström exponent (α) dropped from 1.26 (clear sky) to below 0.1. Its total downwelling SW flux over the Xianghe site (thousands of kilometers away from the dust source region) is only 46% of the clear-sky value with almost no direct transmission and nearly double the diffuse SW clear-sky value. This event was also captured 6 days later by satellite observations as well as the UND/NASA DC-8 aircraft over the eastern Pacific Ocean. The DC-8 measurements in the remote Pacific region further classified the plumes into dust dominant, pollution dominant, and a mixture of dust and pollution events. HYSPLIT backward trajectories not only verified the origins of each case we selected but also showed (1) two possible origins for the dust: the Gobi and Taklimakan deserts; and (2) pollution: urban areas in eastern China, Japan, and other industrialized cities east of the two deserts. Based on the averaged satellite retrieved AOD data (0.5° × 0.5° grid box), declining AOD values with respect to longitude demonstrated the evolution of the transpacific transport pathway of Asian dust and pollution over the period of the field campaign.

Full Text Available This paper proposes a multi-level max-margin discriminative analysis (M3DA framework, which takes both coarse and fine semantics into consideration, for the annotation of high-resolution satellite images. In order to generate more discriminative topic-level features, the M3DA uses the maximum entropy discrimination latent Dirichlet Allocation (MedLDA model. Moreover, for improving the spatial coherence of visual words neglected by M3DA, conditional random field (CRF is employed to optimize the soft label field composed of multiple label posteriors. The framework of M3DA enables one to combine word-level features (generated by support vector machines and topic-level features (generated by MedLDA via the bag-of-words representation. The experimental results on high-resolution satellite images have demonstrated that, using the proposed method can not only obtain suitable semantic interpretation, but also improve the annotation performance by taking into account the multi-level semantics and the contextual information.

We make publicly available a catalog of calibrated environmental measures for galaxies in the five 3D-HST/CANDELS deep fields. Leveraging the spectroscopic and grism redshifts from the 3D-HST survey, multi wavelength photometry from CANDELS, and wider field public data for edge corrections, we derive densities in fixed apertures to characterize the environment of galaxies brighter than $JH_{140} < 24$ mag in the redshift range $0.5satellite galaxy. The same procedure is applied to a $z=0$ sample selected from SDSS. We compute the fraction of passive central and satellite galaxies as a function of stellar and halo mass, and redshift, and then derive the fraction of galaxies that were quenched by environment specific processes. Using the mock sample, w...

The same time domain structures (TDS) have been observed on two Magnetospheric Multiscale Satellites near Earth's dayside magnetopause. These TDS, traveling away from the X line along the magnetic field at 4000 km/s, accelerated field-aligned ∼5 eV electrons to ∼200 eV by a single Fermi reflection of the electrons by these overtaking barriers. Additionally, the TDS contained both positive and negative potentials, so they were a mixture of electron holes and double layers. They evolve in ∼10 km of space or 7 ms of time and their spatial scale size is 10-20 km, which is much larger than the electron gyroradius (<1 km) or the electron inertial length (4 km at the observation point, less nearer the X line).

It is well known that the vegetation plays a key role in the catchment's water balance particularly for semi-arid areas that generally are water-controlled ecosystems. For this reason, the number of hydrological models which include vegetation as a state variable has increased substantially in the last decade. However, many of the available dynamic vegetation models are quite complex.To cope with the difficulty of estimating a large number of parameters and inputs, the authors focused on the use of a parsimonious model called LUE-model. This model is based on the amount of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by green vegetation (APAR) and the Light Use Efficiency index (the efficiency by which that radiation is converted to plant biomass increment) in order to compute the gross primary production (GPP). The advantages of this simple conceptualization are: (1) the low number of parameters, (2) it could be easily coupled with a hydrological model and, (3) as it is based on APAR, it is directly connected with satellite data. This model has been calibrated and validated using remote sensing data and afterwards further tested against field observations. Plant transpiration and soil moisture were obtained in an experimental plot of a semi-arid catchment (La Hunde, East of Spain), during the period from 27/03/2009 to 31/05/2011, covered by Aleppo pine.The satellite data used in this study were: the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), both included in the products MOD13Q1 and MYD13Q1. Concerning NDVI, its own definition links this index to the "greenness" of the target, so that it appears highly linked to chlorophyll content and vegetation condition. Recent studies about Aleppo pine have shown that NDVI is sensitive to water stress, because the photosynthetic pigment is it. For this reason, the model simulated LAI was corrected by a plant water-stress factor. After such correction, the correlation coefficient with

Initial results are presented from the Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite, a mission designed to understand, model, and forecast the presence of equatorial ionospheric irregularities. The VEFI instrument includes a vector DC electric field detector, a fixed-bias Langmuir probe operating in the ion saturation regime, a flux gate magnetometer, an optical lightning detector, and associated electronics including a burst memory. Compared to data obtained during more active solar conditions, the ambient DC electric fields and their associated E x B drifts are variable and somewhat weak, typically electric fields, even where the plasma density appears nearly quiescent. Data from successive orbits reveal that the vertical drifts and plasma density are both clearly organized with longitude. The spread-F density depletions and corresponding electric fields that have been detected thus far have displayed a preponderance to appear between midnight and dawn. Associated with the narrow plasma depletions that are detected are broad spectra of electric field and plasma density irregularities for which a full vector set of measurements is available for detailed study. Finally, the data set includes a wide range of ELF/VLF/HF oscillations corresponding to a variety of plasma waves, in particular banded ELF hiss, whistlers, and lower hybrid wave turbulence triggered by lightning-induced sferics. The VEFI data represents a new set of measurements that are germane to numerous fundamental aspects of the electrodynamics and irregularities inherent to the Earth's low latitude ionosphere.

Full Text Available We demonstrate that global satellite products can be used to evaluate climate model soil moisture predictions but conclusions should be drawn with care. The quality of a limited area climate model (LAM was compared to a general circulation model (GCM using soil moisture data from two different Earth observing satellites within a model validation scheme that copes with the presence of uncertain data. Results showed that in the face of imperfect models and data, it is difficult to investigate the quality of current land surface schemes in simulating hydrology accurately. Nevertheless, a LAM provides, in general, a better representation of spatial patterns and dynamics of soil moisture. However, in months when data uncertainty is higher, particularly in colder months and in periods when vegetation cover and soil moisture are out of phase (e.g. August in the case of Western Europe, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions about model acceptability. Our work indicates that a higher resolution LAM has more benefits to soil moisture prediction than are due to the resolution alone and can be attributed to an overall intensification of the hydrological cycle relative to the GCM.

Full Text Available Indigenous communities have actively managed their environments for millennia using a diversity of resource use and conservation strategies. Clam gardens, ancient rock-walled intertidal beach terraces, represent one example of an early mariculture technology that may have been used to improve food security and confer resilience to coupled human-ocean systems. We surveyed a coastal landscape for evidence of past resource use and management to gain insight into ancient resource stewardship practices on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. We found that clam gardens are embedded within a diverse portfolio of resource use and management strategies and were likely one component of a larger, complex resource management system. We compared clam diversity, density, recruitment, and biomass in three clam gardens and three unmodified nonwalled beaches. Evidence suggests that butter clams (Saxidomus gigantea had 1.96 times the biomass and 2.44 times the density in clam gardens relative to unmodified beaches. This was due to a reduction in beach slope and thus an increase in the optimal tidal range where clams grow and survive best. The most pronounced differences in butter clam density between nonwalled beaches and clam gardens were found at high tidal elevations at the top of the beach. Finally, clam recruits (0.5-2 mm in length tended to be greater in clam gardens compared to nonwalled beaches and may be attributed to the addition of shell hash by ancient people, which remains on the landscape today. As part of a broader social-ecological system, clam garden sites were among several modifications made by humans that collectively may have conferred resilience to past communities by providing reliable and diverse access to food resources.

The contamination of the benthic environment poses a threat to long-lived sessile organisms such as clams. The purpose of this study was to investigate metal contamination in tissues and changes in metallothioneins (MT) in respect to its redox status in Mya arenaria clams collected at three polluted sites. The phosphorylation state of MT was also investigated to determine whether this state is changed in clams collected at heavy-metal contaminated site and its involvement in cytoprotective si...

The name 'microcells' is frequently used to refer to small-sized unicellular stages of molluscan parasites of the genera Bonamia (Rhizaria, Haplosporidia) and Mikrocytos (Rhizaria). Histological examination of Manila clams Ruditapes philippinarum revealed microcells in the connective tissue of adductor muscle, foot, mantle, gills, siphon and visceral mass. The clams had been collected from 4 beds on the coast of Galicia, Spain. The prevalence of these microcells ranged from 73 to 93% in surface clams and from 3 to 33% in buried clams. However, the detection of brown ring disease signs in clams from every bed prevented us from making the assumption that the microcells alone were responsible for clam mortality. PCR assays using primer pairs designed to detect Bonamia spp. and haplosporidians gave negative results, whereas positive results were obtained with primers for the genus Mikrocytos. A consensus sequence of 1670 bp of the ribosomal gene complex of the microcells was obtained. It contained a section of the 18S region, the whole first internal transcribed spacer, the 5.8S region, the second internal transcribed spacer and a section of the 28S region. Comparison of this sequence with those of M. mackini infecting Crassostrea gigas and Mikrocytos sp. infecting Ostrea edulis showed that the microcells of Galician clams were the most divergent among the compared parasites. This is the first report of a Mikrocytos-like parasite infecting Manila clams. Care must be taken to avoid the spread of this parasite through Manila clam transfers.

Domoic acid (DA) is a neurotoxic amino acid produced by several marine algal species of the Pseudo-nitzschia (PN) genus. We studied the elimination of DA from hemolymph after intravascular (IV) injection in razor clams (Siliqua patula), mussels (Mytilus edulis) and Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister). Crabs were also injected with two other organic acids, dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and kainic acid (KA). For IV dosing, hemolymph was repetitively sampled and DA concentrations measured by HPLC-UV. Toxicokinetic analysis of DA in crabs suggested most of the injected dose remained within hemolymph compartment with little extravascular distribution. This observation is in sharp contrast to results obtained from clams and mussels which exhibited similarly large apparent volumes of distribution despite large differences in overall clearance. These findings suggest fundamentally different storage and elimination processes are occurring for DA between bivalves and crabs.

and therefore the mapping of the Earth's magnetic field may be possible. The spinning of the spacecraft about a certain axis makes the stabilisation in space possible. This fact and the well distributed data over the globe makes the magnetic data well suited for the estimation of the magnetic field model...... at the spacecraft altitude (circa 1000km). Several methods for field modelling are presented in this paper with the assumption that the direction of the spin axis is nearly constant. In any case the orientation of the magnetometer is to bedetermined simultaneously with the instrument calibration and main field...

Full Text Available The Microwave Infrared Combined Rainfall Algorithm (MICRA consists in a statistical integration method using the satellite microwave-based rain-rate estimates, assumed to be accurate enough, to calibrate spaceborne infrared measurements on limited sub-regions and time windows. Rainfall retrieval is pursued at the space-time scale of typical geostationary observations, that is at a spatial resolution of few kilometers and a repetition period of few tens of minutes. The actual implementation is explained, although the basic concepts of MICRA are very general and the method is easy to be extended for considering innovative statistical techniques or measurements from additional space-borne platforms. In order to demonstrate the potentiality of MICRA, case studies over central Italy are also discussed. Finally, preliminary results of MICRA validation by ground based remote and in situ measurements are shown and a comparison with a Neural Network (NN based technique is briefly illustrated.

We use combined multi-year measurements from the surface and space for assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of aerosol properties within a large (~400x400 km) region centered on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, along the East Coast of the United States. The ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) measurements at Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO) site and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) sensors on board the Terra and Aqua satellites provide horizontal and temporal variations of aerosol optical depth, while the Cloud- Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) offers the altitudes of aerosol-layers. The combined ground-based and satellite measurements indicated several interesting features among which were the large differences in the aerosol properties observed in July and February. We applied the climatology of aerosol properties for designing the Two-Column Aerosol Project (TCAP), which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program. The TCAP field campaign involves 12-month deployment (started July 1, 2012) of the ground-based ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) and Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS) on Cape Cod and complimentary aerosol observations from two research aircraft: the DOE Gulfstream-1 (G-1) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) B200 King Air. Using results from the coordinated G-1 and B200 flights during the recent (July, 2012) Intensive Observation Period, we demonstrated that the G-1 in situ measurements and B200 active remote sensing can provide complementary information on the temporal and spatial changes of the aerosol properties off the coast of North America.

The herbicide atrazine is one of the most heavily used pesticides in the United States. The effects of atrazine on the clam Mercenaria mercenaria were evaluated in aqueous and sediment laboratory assays. Juvenile clams of approximately 1mm in size were used for all experiments. An acute aqueous bio-assay was used to determine the 96-h LC(50) for the juvenile clams. A chronic aqueous bioassay was conducted at lower atrazine concentrations over a 10-day exposure period to examine both lethal and sublethal (dry mass, shell size, and condition index) endpoints. A chronic sediment bioassay examined mortality and sublethal endpoints in a 10-day exposure. The acute 96-h LC(50) was 5608 microg/L with 95% confidence intervals ranging from 5003 to 6287 microg/L. Results of the chronic aqueous assay indicated both lethal and sublethal (reduced shell size) effects at high atrazine concentrations. In the 10-day chronic aqueous assay, the no observable effect concentration was 500 microg/L, the lowest observable effect concentration was 1000 microg/L, and the maximum allowable toxicant concentration (MATC) was 707 microg/L. There were no significant effects of atrazine in the chronic sediment exposure. Safe concentrations for the aqueous experiments were estimated by applying an uncertainty factor of 10 to the calculated MATC values. While there were adverse effects of atrazine at high concentrations, these results suggest that atrazine is not directly toxic to M. mercenaria at environmentally relevant concentrations.

Wave breaking is proposed as the primary energy dissipation mechanism for the gravity wave field. The energy dissipation rate is calculated based on the statistical model proposed by Longuet-Higgins (1969) with a modification of the breaking criterion incorporating the surface stress according to Phillips and Banner (1974). From this modified model, an analytic expression is found for the wave attenuation rate and the half-life time of the wave field which depend only on the significant slope of the wave field and the ratio of friction velocity to initial wave phase velocity. These expressions explain why the freshly generated wave field does not last long, but why swells are capable of propagating long distances without substantial change in energy density. It is shown that breaking is many orders of magnitude more effective in dissipating wave energy than the molecular viscosity, if the significant slope is higher than 0.01. Limited observational data from satellite and laboratory are used to compare with the analytic results, and show good agreement.

Spatial distributions and patchiness of dominant megafaunal invertebrates in deep-sea seep environments may indicate heterogeneities in the flux of reduced chemical compounds. At the Blake Ridge seep off South Carolina, USA, the invertebrate assemblage includes dense populations of live vesicomyid clams (an undescribed species) as well as extensive clam shell beds (i.e. dead clams). In the present study, we characterized clam parameters (density, size-frequency distribution, reproductive condition) in relation to sulfur chemistry (sulfide and sulfate concentrations and isotopic compositions, pyrite and elemental sulfur concentrations) and other sedimentary metrics (grain size, organic content). For clams >5 mm, clam density was highest where the total dissolved sulfide concentration at 10 cm depth (ΣH2S10cm) was 0.4 to 1.1 mmol l–1; juvenile clams (2S10cm was lowest. Clams were reproductively capable across a broad range of ΣH2S10cm (0.1 to 6.4 mmol l–1), and females in the sampled populations displayed asynchronous gametogenesis. Sulfide concentrations in porewaters at the shell–sediment interface of cores from shell beds were high, 3.3 to 12.1 mmol l–1, compared to –1 sulfide concentrations at the clam–sediment interface in live clam beds. Concentration profiles for sulfide and sulfate in shell beds were typical of those expected where there is active microbial sulfate reduction. In clam beds, profiles of sulfide and sulfate concentrations were also consistent with rapid uptake of sulfide by the clams. Sulfate in shell beds was systematically enriched in 34S relative to that in clam beds due to microbial fractionation during sulfate reduction, but in clam beds, sulfate δ34S matched that of seawater (~20‰). Residual sulfide values in clam and shell beds were correspondingly depleted in 34S. Based on porewater sulfide concentrations in shell beds at the time of sampling, we suggest that clam mortality may have been due to an abrupt increase in

We will present a new methodology and the resulting interactive map and statistical estimates of flared gas volumes in 2012-2016 using multispectral infrared images from VIIRS radiometer at the Suomi NPP satellite. The high temperature gas flares are detected at the night side of the Earth with the Nightfire algorithm. Gas flares are distinct from biomass burning and industrial heat sources because they have higher temperatures. Sums of the radiative heat from the detected flares are calibrated with country-level flared volumes reported by CEDIGAZ. Statistical analysis of the database with accumulated 5 years of the Nightfire detections makes it possible to estimate instant flow rate for an individual flare, as well as integral flared volumes and long term trends for all the countries or oil and gas fields.

GaN field emitter rods with nanometer diameter were fabricated by photoelectrochemical etching on a n+-GaN substrate. Their electron field emission properties were investigated under ultraviolet (UV) illumination. The Fowler-Nordheim plots of the emission current show different slopes for nonilluminated and UV illuminated devices. A model based on the electron emission from valleys having different specific electron affinities is proposed to explain the experimental results. In the absence of illumination, the GaN rods are almost fully depleted and emission takes place only from the lower valley. Upon UV illumination and presence of a high electric field at the emitter tip, the upper valley of the conduction band appears to be occupied by electrons generated at the valence band. The energy difference between the lower and upper valleys was determined to be 1.15eV and is in good agreement with formerly published theoretical and measured values.

Maps that define the current distribution of geothermally heated ground are useful toward setting a baseline for thermal activity to better detect and understand future anomalous hydrothermal and (or) volcanic activity. Monitoring changes in the dynamic thermal areas also supports decisions regarding the development of Yellowstone National Park infrastructure, preservation and protection of park resources, and ensuring visitor safety. Because of the challenges associated with field-based monitoring of a large, complex geothermal system that is spread out over a large and remote area, satellite-based thermal infrared images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) were used to map the location and spatial extent of active thermal areas, to generate thermal anomaly maps, and to quantify the radiative component of the total geothermal heat flux. ASTER thermal infrared data acquired during winter nights were used to minimize the contribution of solar heating of the surface. The ASTER thermal infrared mapping results were compared to maps of thermal areas based on field investigations and high-resolution aerial photos. Field validation of the ASTER thermal mapping is an ongoing task. The purpose of this report is to make available ASTER-based maps of Yellowstone’s thermal areas. We include an appendix containing the names and characteristics of Yellowstone’s thermal areas, georeferenced TIFF files containing ASTER thermal imagery, and several spatial data sets in Esri shapefile format.

Argon plasma etched GaN field-emitter rods with nanometer-scale diameter were fabricated on GaN grown on an n+-GaN substrate. Their electron field emission properties were investigated both without and under illumination by using light sources with various wavelengths. The Fowler-Nordheim current-voltage characteristics of the cathodes show a change in slope for illuminated cathodes. The electron affinity difference ΔE between the different valleys in the conduction band has been ascertained and is in the range from 1.18 up to 1.21 eV.

More than two year of data from ESA's Swarm constellation mission are used to derive a model of the Earth’s magnetic field and its time variation (secular variation). The model describes contributions from the core and lithosphere as well as large-scale contributions from the magnetosphere (and its...... Earth-induced counterpart). We use data from geomagnetic quiet times and co-estimate the Euler angles describing the rotation between the vector magnetometer instrument frame and the North-East-Center (NEC) frame. In addition to the magnetic field observations provided by each of the three Swarm...

In 2007, the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) was installed as a full component of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). One primary goal of GGOS is the integration of geometric and gravimetric observation techniques to estimate consistent geodetic-geophysical parameters. Thereby, GGOS is based on the data and services of the IAG. Besides the combination of different geodetic techniques, also the common estimation of the station coordinates (TRF), Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) and coefficients of the Earth's gravitational field (Stokes coefficients) is necessary in order to reach this goal. However, the combination of all geometric and gravimetric observation techniques is not yet fully realized. A major step towards the GGOS idea of parameter integration would be the understanding of the existing correlations between the above mentioned fundamental geodetic parameter groups. This topic is the major objective of this thesis. One possibility to study the interactions is the use of Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) in an intertechnique combination with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) or the intra-technique combination of multiple SLR-tracked satellites. SLR plays a key role in this thesis since it is the unique technique which is sensitive to all parameter groups and allows an integrated parameter estimation with very high accuracy. The present work is based on five first-author publications which are supplemented by four co-author publications. In this framework, for the first time an extensive discussion of a refined global Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF) estimation procedure, the estimation of so-called Epoch Reference Frames (ERFs) is presented. In contrast to the conventional linear station motion model, the ERFs provide frequently estimated station coordinates and Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) which allow to approximate not modeled non-linear station motions very accurately

coefficients up to n = 20 are described by order 5 splines (with 6-month knot spacing) spanning the years from 1997.0 to 2009.5. Compared to its predecessors, the temporal regularization of the CHAOS-2 model is also modified. Indeed, second and higher order time derivatives of the core field are damped...

modelling. To improve the data, we use aniterative approach consisting of two main parts: one is a main field modelling process to obtain the radial fieldgradient to perturb the orbits and the other is the state-of-the-art GPS orbit modelling software BERNESE to calculatenew physical orbits. We report...

This study evaluates the feasibility of hyperspectral and multispectral satellite imagery for categorical and quantitative mapping of salinity stress in sugarcane fields located in the southwest of Iran. For this purpose a Hyperion image acquired on September 2, 2010 and a Landsat7 ETM+ image acquired on September 7, 2010 were used as hyperspectral and multispectral satellite imagery. Field data including soil salinity in the sugarcane root zone was collected at 191 locations in 25 fields during September 2010. In the first section of the paper, based on the yield potential of sugarcane as influenced by different soil salinity levels provided by FAO, soil salinity was classified into three classes, low salinity (1.7-3.4 dS/m), moderate salinity (3.5-5.9 dS/m) and high salinity (6-9.5) by applying different classification methods including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), Minimum Distance (MD) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) on Hyperion and Landsat images. In the second part of the paper the performance of nine vegetation indices (eight indices from literature and a new developed index in this study) extracted from Hyperion and Landsat data was evaluated for quantitative mapping of salinity stress. The experimental results indicated that for categorical classification of salinity stress, Landsat data resulted in a higher overall accuracy (OA) and Kappa coefficient (KC) than Hyperion, of which the MD classifier using all bands or PCA (1-5) as an input performed best with an overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of 84.84% and 0.77 respectively. Vice versa for the quantitative estimation of salinity stress, Hyperion outperformed Landsat. In this case, the salinity and water stress index (SWSI) has the best prediction of salinity stress with an R2 of 0.68 and RMSE of 1.15 dS/m for Hyperion followed by Landsat data with an R2 and RMSE of 0.56 and 1.75 dS/m respectively. It was concluded that categorical mapping of salinity stress is the best option

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Special rules-snails and clams. 17.45 Section 17.45 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... Special rules—snails and clams....

A short review is given for the general frequency and angle distribution of the electric field radiated by an electric dipole E = E(sub 0)cos(omega)t, in a magnetoplasma. Detailed results of numerical calculations of (E) were made in the Very Low Frequency (VLF) and the Low Frequency (LF) bands 0.02f(sub b) is less than or equal to F is less than or equal to 0.5f(sub b) (F is approximately (4-500) kHz) in the ionosphere and magnetosphere in the altitude region Z = (800-6000) km; f(sub b) is the electron gyro-frequency of the plasmas in the discussed region f(sub b) is approximately equal to (1.1 to 0.2) MHz. The amplitudes of the electric field have large maxima in four regions: close to the direction of the Earth's magnetic field line (B(sub 0)), it is the so called Axis field (E(sub 0)) and in the Storey (E(sub St)), Reversed Storey (E(sub RevSt)), and Resonance (E(sub Res)) Cones. The maximal values of E(sub 0), E(sub Res), and E(sub RevSt) are very pronounced close to the low hybrid frequency, F approximately F(sub L). The flux of the electric field is concentrated in very narrow regions, the apex angles of the cones delta(beta) is approximately equal to (0.1 - 1) degree. The enhancement and focusing of the electric field is growing up, especially quickly at Z greater than 800 km. At Z is greater than 1000 up to 6000 km, the relative value of (E), in comparison with its value at Z = 800 km is about (10(exp 2) to 10(exp 4)) times larger. Thus, the flux of VLF and LF electromagnetic waves in the Earth magnetoplasma produces and is guided by very narrow pencil beams, similar, let us say, to laser beams.

There are three major space launch bases in China, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center,the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. All the three launch centers are located in sparsely populated areas where the terrain is even and the field of vision is broad. Security, transport conditions and the influence of the axial rotation

The first edition of this ground breaking reference work was the most comprehensive reference source available about the key aspects of the satellite applications field. This updated second edition covers the technology, the markets, applications and regulations related to satellite telecommunications, broadcasting and networking—including civilian and military systems; precise satellite navigation and timing networks (i.e. GPS and others); remote sensing and meteorological satellite systems. Created under the auspices of the International Space University based in France, this brand new edition is now expanded to cover new innovative small satellite constellations, new commercial launching systems, innovation in military application satellites and their acquisition, updated appendices, a useful glossary and more.

In the present work, the determination of the magnetic behavior of localized magnetic sources from near-field measurements is examined. The distance power law of the magnetic field fall-off is used in various cases to accurately predict the magnetic signature of an equipment under test (EUT) consisting of multiple alternating current (AC) magnetic sources. Therefore, parameters concerning the location of the observation points (magnetometers) are studied towards this scope. The results clearly show that these parameters are independent of the EUT's size and layout. Additionally, the techniques developed in the present study enable the placing of the magnetometers close to the EUT, thus achieving high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Finally, the proposed method is verified by real measurements, using a mobile phone as an EUT.

Microplastics, plastic particles Baynes Sound, British Columbia were chosen to examine the microplastic concentrations in wild and cultured Manila clams. Microplastics were isolated using a nitric acid digestion technique and enumerated from 54 clams (27 farmed and 27 non-farmed). Qualitative attributes, such as colour and microplastic type (fiber, fragment, or film) also were recorded. There was no significant difference (F = 1.29; df = 1,4; P = 0.289) between microplastic concentrations in cultured and wild clams. Microplastic concentrations ranged from 0.07 to 5.47 particles/g (from reference beach and shellfish farm clams, respectively). Fibers were the dominant microplastic (90 %); colourless and dark gray fibers were the most common colours observed (36 and 26 %, respectively). Although this indicates that microplastics are definitely present in seafood consumed by humans, shellfish aquaculture operations do not appear to be increasing microplastic concentrations in farmed clams in this region.

The concentration of mercury in the tissues of the clam, Galatea paradoxa at in the Volta estuary, Ghana, were analysed over an 18-month period, from March 2008 to August 2009. The concentrations were well below the International Human Consumption Advisory Limit of THg (0.5 μg/g wet weight). The concentrations in the tissues of the different clam size classes were between 6 and 18 times lower than the WHO Safety Reference Standard. Variation in the mean mercury concentration in the different clam size classes was not significant (p > 0.05) for clams from Aveglo but were highly significant (p < 0.0001) for clams from Ada, indicating a possible effect of size on accumulation. G. paradoxa is therefore suitable for human consumption based on the WHO Safety Reference Standards.

Accurate and reliable estimation of biomass in tropical forest has been a challenging task because a large proportion of forests are difficult to access or inaccessible. So, for effective implementation of REDD+ and fair benefit sharing, the proper designing of field plot sampling schemes plays a significant role in achieving robust biomass estimation. The existing forest inventory protocols using various field plot sampling schemes, including FAO's regular grid concept of sampling for land cover inventory at national level, are time and human resource intensive. Wall to wall LiDAR scanning is, however, a better approach to assess biomass with high precision and spatial resolution even though this approach suffers from high costs. Considering the above, in this study a sampling design based on a LiDAR strips sampling scheme has been devised for Ghanaian forests to support field plot sampling. Using Top-of-Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance value of satellite data, Land Use classification was carried out in accordance with IPCC definitions and the resulting classes were further stratified, incorporating existing GIS data of ecological zones in the study area. Employing this result, LiDAR sampling strips were allocated using systematic sampling techniques. The resulting LiDAR strips represented all forest categories, as well as other Land Use classes, with their distribution adequately representing the areal share of each category. In this way, out of at total area of 15,153km2 of the study area, LiDAR scanning was required for only 770 km2 (sampling intensity being 5.1%). We conclude that this systematic LiDAR sampling design is likely to adequately cover variation in above-ground biomass densities and serve as sufficient a-priori data, together with the Land Use classification produced, for designing efficient field plot sampling over the seven ecological zones.

There are mainly distributed three pedigrees (White, Liangdao Red, and Zebra) of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in Yantai population along the Bohai marine and coast. However, the biological differences to environmental stressors have been ignored in toxicology studies, which could lead to the distortion of biological interpretations of toxicological effects induced by environmental contaminants. In this study, we applied a system biology approach, metabolomics to compare the metabolic profiles in digestive gland from three pedigrees of clam and characterize and compare the metabolic responses induced by mercury in clam digestive gland tissues to determine a sensitive pedigree of clam as a preferable bioindicator for metal pollution monitoring and toxicology research. The most abundant metabolites, respectively, included branched-chain amino acids, alanine, and arginine in White samples, glutamate, dimethylglycine, and glycine in Zebra clams and acetylcholine, betaine, glucose, and glycogen in Liangdao Red clams. After 48 h exposure of 20 {mu}g L{sup -1} Hg{sup 2+}, the metabolic profiles from the three pedigrees of clams showed differentially significant changes in alanine, glutamate, succinate, taurine, hypotaurine, glycine, arginine, glucose, etc. Our findings indicate the toxicological effects of mercury exposure in Manila clams including the neurotoxicity, disturbances in energetic metabolisms and osmoregulation in the digestive glands and suggest that Liangdao Red pedigree of clam could be a preferable bioindicator for the metal pollution monitoring based on the more sensitive classes of metabolic changes from digestive glands compared with other two (White and Zebra) pedigrees of clams. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

In this study, digital images collected at a study site in the Canadian High Arctic were processed and classified to examine the spatial-temporal patterns of percent vegetation cover (PVC). To obtain the PVC of different plant functional groups (i.e., forbs, graminoids/sedges and mosses), field near infrared-green-blue (NGB) digital images were classified using an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach. The PVC analyses comparing different vegetation types confirmed: (i) the polar semi-desert exhibited the lowest PVC with a large proportion of bare soil/rock cover; (ii) the mesic tundra cover consisted of approximately 60% mosses; and (iii) the wet sedge consisted almost exclusively of graminoids and sedges. As expected, the PVC and green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI; (RNIR - RGreen)/(RNIR + RGreen)), derived from field NGB digital images, increased during the summer growing season for each vegetation type: i.e., ∼5% (0.01) for polar semi-desert; ∼10% (0.04) for mesic tundra; and ∼12% (0.03) for wet sedge respectively. PVC derived from field images was found to be strongly correlated with WorldView-2 derived normalized difference spectral indices (NDSI; (Rx - Ry)/(Rx + Ry)), where Rx is the reflectance of the red edge (724.1 nm) or near infrared (832.9 nm and 949.3 nm) bands; Ry is the reflectance of the yellow (607.7 nm) or red (658.8 nm) bands with R2's ranging from 0.74 to 0.81. NDSIs that incorporated the yellow band (607.7 nm) performed slightly better than the NDSIs without, indicating that this band may be more useful for investigating Arctic vegetation that often includes large proportions of senescent vegetation throughout the growing season.

An undeniably rich and thorough guide to satellite communication engineering, Satellite Communication Engineering, Second Edition presents the fundamentals of information communications systems in a simple and succinct way. This book considers both the engineering aspects of satellite systems as well as the practical issues in the broad field of information transmission. Implementing concepts developed on an intuitive, physical basis and utilizing a combination of applications and performance curves, this book starts off with a progressive foundation in satellite technology, and then moves on

We derived the coronal magnetic field, plasma density, and temperature from the observation of polarization and intensity of radio thermal free-free emission using the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations. We observed a post-flare loop on the west limb 11 April 2013. The line-of-sight magnetic field was derived from the circularly polarized free-free emission observed by NoRH. The emission measure and temperature were derived from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The derived temperature was used to estimate the emission measure from the NoRH radio free-free emission observations. The derived density from NoRH was larger than that determined using AIA, which can be explained by the fact that the low temperature plasma is not within the temperature coverage of the AIA filters used in this study. We also discuss the other observation of the post-flare loops by the EUV Imager onboard the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (...

A special perturbation technique of Encke type associated with the Kustaanheimo-Stiefel (KS) regularized variables is developed for satellite motions in the earth's gravitational field with axial symmetry. Its computational algorithm is of recursive nature and could be applied to any perturbed conic motion, whatever the number of the zonal harmonic coefficients may be. Applications of the algorithm are also included.

We present the high-frequency properties of the eight electric field sensors as proposed to be launched on the spacecraft "RESONANCE" in the near future. Due to the close proximity of the conducting spacecraft body, the sensors (antennas) have complex receiving features and need to be well understood for an optimal mission and spacecraft design. An optimal configuration and precise understanding of the sensor and antenna characteristics is also vital for the proper performance of spaceborne scientific instrumentation and the corresponding data analysis. The provided results are particularly interesting with regard to the planned mutual impedance experiment for measuring plasma parameters. Our computational results describe the extreme dependency of the sensor system with regard to wave incident direction and frequency, and provides the full description of the sensor system as a multi-port scatterer. In particular, goniopolarimetry techniques like polarization analysis and direction finding depend crucially on the presented antenna characteristics.

Full Text Available The giant clam Tridacna maxima has been largely overexploited in many tropical regions over the past decades, and was therefore listed in appendix II of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES in 1985. In French Polynesia, several atolls and islands harbor the world's highest stocks of giant clams in very shallow and accessible areas, which are therefore highly vulnerable to fishing pressure. The local fishery authority (i.e., Direction des Resources Marines or "DRM" implemented several management schemes in 2002 to control and regulate fishing pressure. However, for further decisions DRM was missing a sensitivity analysis on the effectiveness of the possible management actions. Here, we report on the use of a deterministic Viable Population Analysis (VPA and spatially-explicit age-based population model that simulated the 30-year trajectory of a Tridacna maxima stock under different management approaches. Specifically, given various scenarios of intra-island larval dispersal, we tested which of No-take-Areas (NTAs, rotational closures, size limits, quotas, and restocking schemes would lead to the highest future stocks in Tubuai and Raivavae, two exploited islands of the Austral archipelago. For both islands, stock abundances were estimated in 2004/2010 and 2005/2010 respectively, and natural mortalities were assessed previously only in Tubuai. When compared to field data, the model successfully predicted the 2010 stocks for Tubuai, but proved to be less reliable for Raivavae, where natural mortality rates may well be different from those on Tubuai. For Tubuai, the spatial model suggested that reducing fishing effort (through fixed quotas and banning fishing below the 12 cm size limit (as currently implemented were the most effective management actions to sustain T. maxima populations into the future. Implementing NTAs was of poor effectiveness. NTAs increased giant clam stock inside the protected area, but also

The southeast United States (SE-US) is dominated by tree plantations and other forms of industrial forests that provide vital socio-ecological services to the human society. Most of these forests are managed to maximize economic outcome, and hence are often subject to intensive management practices and have different harvest-regrowth cycles as compared with natural forest ecosystems. Through the North American Forest Dynamics (NAFD) study, we have mapped forest disturbances for the conterminous United States using dense time series Landsat observations. The derived map products revealed that more than 50% of the forests in SE-US were harvested or disturbed by other forms of human or natural disturbance events at least once between 1986 and 2010. These products are being analyzed together with ancillary GIS data sets and field inventory data to identify industrial forests and to quantify their logging intensity, timber output, recovery rate, and the harvest-regrowth cycle. The derived results will be summarized in this presentation, along with discussions of the underlying environmental and management factors that may drive the spatio-temporal dynamics of the industrial forests in SE-US.

The Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the C/NOFS equatorial satellite provides a unique data set which includes detailed measurements of irregularities associated with the equatorial ionosphere and in particular with spread-F depletions. We present vector AC electric field observations gathered on C/NOFS that address a variety of key questions regarding how plasma irregularities, from meter to kilometer scales, are created and evolve. The talk focuses on occasions where the ionosphere F-peak has been elevated above the C/NOFS satellite perigee of 400 km as solar activity has increased. In particular, during the equinox periods of 2011, the satellite consistently journeyed below the F-peak whenever the orbit was in the region of the South Atlantic anomaly after sunset. During these passes, data from the electric field and plasma density probes on the satellite have revealed two types of instabilities which had not previously been observed in the C/NOFS data set: The first is evidence for 400-500km-scale bottomside "undulations" that appear in the density and electric field data. In one case, these large scale waves are associated with a strong shear in the zonal E x B flow, as evidenced by variations in the meridional (outward) electric fields observed above and below the F-peak. These undulations are devoid of smaller scale structures in the early evening, yet appear at later local times along the same orbit associated with fully-developed spread-F with smaller scale structures. This suggests that they may be precursor waves for spread-F, driven by a collisional shear instability, following ideas advanced previously by researchers using data from the Jicamarca radar. A second result is the appearance of km-scale irregularities that are a common feature in the electric field and plasma density data that also appear when the satellite is near or below the F-peak at night. The vector electric field instrument on C/NOFS clearly shows that the electric field

Metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Mn and Fe) were analyzed seasonally over three years in sediments and in tissues of the clam Scrobicularia plana in four Moroccan Atlantic estuaries: Loukkos, Sebou, Bou Regreg and Oum er Rbia. Of these metals, Cd was at the lowest concentrations in sediment. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, and to a lesser extent Ni, in sediments suggest greater contamination in Sebou and Bou Regreg than in the other estuaries. The fluctuations of Mn and Fe concentrations in the fine surface sediments reflect their continental origin and show seasonal variations that indicate soil run-off following rain events. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, and especially Ni in clam tissues in these estuaries were generally higher than in some other common bioindicator bivalve species. The seasonal variations in S. plana's tissue metal concentrations are linked to patterns of reproductive activity for all metals except Cd and possibly Zn, whose tissue concentrations may be regulated. Mn and Fe concentrations in S. plana were positively correlated to sediment levels of these metals.

The CHAMP satellite continues to provide highly accurate magnetic field measurements from decreasing orbital altitudes (<350 km) at solar minimum conditions. Using the latest 4 years (2004-2007) of readings from the CHAMP fluxgate magnetometer, including an improved scalar data product, we have estimated the lithospheric magnetic field to spherical harmonic degree 120, corresponding to 333 km wavelength resolution. The data were found to be sensitive to crustal field variations up to degree 150 (down to 266 km wavelength), but a clean separation of the lithospheric signal from ionospheric and magnetospheric noise sources was achieved only to degree 120. This new MF6 model is the first satellite-based magnetic model to resolve the direction of oceanic magnetic lineations, revealing the age structure of oceanic crust.

Sustainable management of tropical forests has been identified as one of the main objectives for global conservation of carbon stocks. In order to achieve this, managers need tools to establish whether or not their management practices are sustainable. Several tool development initiatives have undertaken the creation of sets of criteria and indicators to aid managers to target, if not achieve, sustainability. The question of how to assess these indicators remains to be answered from an operational viewpoint, where logistical constraints become critical and priorization becomes necessary. The present dissertation sought to determine whether satellite imagery can be used, in conjunction with standard forest management data, to identify priority areas for field surveys of indicators of ecological sustainability of managed tropical forests. It presents a novel approach to the assessment of CIFOR indicator I.2.1.2: "The change in diversity of habitats as a result of human interventions is maintained within critical limits as defined by natural variation and/or regional conservation objectives" by means of semivariography of remote sensing data. It shows the Wide Dynamic Range Vegetation Index (WDRVI) is a good alternative for the detection and quantification of tropical forests structural heterogeneity and its dynamic change. The differences observed between forest management units and natural areas forest structural heterogeneity were used to identify priority areas for field survey of ecological sustainability indicators and evaluate how these priorities were reflected in dung beetles community structure and composition. The link between forest structural heterogeneity dynamic change, forest logging intensity and dung beetle community structure and composition is established. A logging intensity threshold of 4 trees per hectare is identified as the limit between significant or not significant differences in forest structure dynamic changes and dung beetles community

We make publicly available a catalog of calibrated environmental measures for galaxies in the five 3D-Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/CANDELS deep fields. Leveraging the spectroscopic and grism redshifts from the 3D-HST survey, multiwavelength photometry from CANDELS, and wider field public data for edge corrections, we derive densities in fixed apertures to characterize the environment of galaxies brighter than {{JH}}140satellite galaxy. The same procedure is applied to a z = 0 sample selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We compute the fraction of passive central and satellite galaxies as a function of stellar and halo mass, and redshift, and then derive the fraction of galaxies that were quenched by environment specific processes. Using the mock sample, we estimate that the timescale for satellite quenching is {t}{quench}∼ 2{--}5 {Gyr}; it is longer at lower stellar mass or lower redshift, but remarkably independent of halo mass. This indicates that, in the range of environments commonly found within the 3D-HST sample ({M}h≲ {10}14 {M}ȯ ), satellites are quenched by exhaustion of their gas reservoir in the absence of cosmological accretion. We find that the quenching times can be separated into a delay phase, during which satellite galaxies behave similarly to centrals at fixed stellar mass, and a phase where the star formation rate drops rapidly ({τ }f∼ 0.4{--}0.6 Gyr), as shown previously at z = 0. We conclude that this scenario requires satellite galaxies to retain a large reservoir of multi-phase gas upon accretion, even at high redshift, and that this gas sustains star formation for the long quenching times observed.

There was investigated the mercury total content in bottom sediments and some bodies of clams from the area of the middle reach of the Ural river near the Orenburg city. In bottom sediments there was revealed an excess of the ecological standard for mercury. There was noted the uneven distribution of toxicant in bodies of clams: the maximal contents was detected in hepatopancreas, minimal--in "foot", that apparently is determined by the unequal metabolitic activity of these tissues. The highest concentration of mercury in the tissues of clams was noted at the station "Ural river above the camp" Dubki".

Dredged material management is a key issue for the protection of aquatic environments. The in situ approach using caged bioindicator species has been chosen lately as a new methodology for the assessment of dredged material. In a tier testing approach, neutral red retention (NRR) assay has been applied as a screening tool to detect adverse changes in health status associated with contamination. Nevertheless, to authors' knowledge, little is known about the application and validation of this technique in sediment bioindicator species and under field conditions. Caged Ruditapes decussatus and Carcinus maenas were exposed during 28 days to potentially contaminated sediments at three sites in Algeciras Bay (SW Spain) and one site in Cádiz Bay (SW Spain). Lysosomal membrane stability was measured over time in haemolymph samples of exposed clams and crabs using the NRR assay. Sediment characterization of the study sites was performed in parallel. NRR time did not vary significantly (p > 0.05) over time in organisms from Cádiz Bay. Conversely, significant differences (p clams and crabs exposed to sediments from Algeciras Bay, which exhibited a 30-70% decrease in haemocyte lysosome membrane stability compared to day 0. Statistical analysis showed a strong correlation between the drop of haemocyte lysosome membrane stability, in both crabs and clams, and the presence of metals (p clam R. philippinarum and the crab C. maenas.

Satellite NO2 column measurements indicate large NOx emissions from urban and agricultural sources in California. In this presentation, we highlight the NOx sources identified in California using the satellite measurements. Comparison of regional model-simulated NO2 columns with satellite retrievals has proven useful in evaluating emission inventories for various sectors. We compare the NO2 columns from the WRF-Chem model with the multi-satellite data sets from different instruments and retrieval groups for a variety of California sources. Use of multiple satellite data sets help to define the uncertainties in the satellite retrievals. In addition, the CalNex 2010 intensive field campaign provides a unique opportunity to independently assess California's emission inventories. The in-situ airborne observations from CalNex 2010 and fine-resolution model simulations are used to estimate the accuracy of the satellite NO2 column retrievals.

Full Text Available The ‘disco’ clam Ctenoides ales (Finlay, 1927 is a marine bivalve that has a unique, vivid flashing display that is a result of light scattering by silica nanospheres and rapid mantle movement. The eyes of C. ales were examined to determine their visual capabilities and whether the clams can see the flashing of conspecifics. Similar to the congener C. scaber, C. ales exhibits an off-response (shadow reflex and an on-response (light reflex. In field observations, a shadow caused a significant increase in flash rate from a mean of 3.9 Hz to 4.7 Hz (P=0.0016. In laboratory trials, a looming stimulus, which increased light intensity, caused a significant increase in flash rate from a median of 1.8 Hz to 2.2 Hz (P=0.0001. Morphological analysis of the eyes of C. ales revealed coarsely-packed photoreceptors lacking sophisticated structure, resulting in visual resolution that is likely too low to detect the flashing of conspecifics. As the eyes of C. ales are incapable of perceiving conspecific flashing, it is likely that their vision is instead used to detect predators.

Textile effluents are considered as potential sources of water pollution because they contain toxic dyes. In the present study, lala clam shell was used as an alternative low-cost adsorbent for the removal of two harmful dyes, namely methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. Batch adsorption studies were carried out by varying experimental parameters such as solution pH, initial concentration and adsorbent dosage. The optimum pH values for MO and MB removal were pH 2.0 and pH 8.0, respectively. At an initial MO and MB concentration of 20 mg/L, the maximum removal percentage of MO and MB were 18.9 % and 81.3 %, respectively. The adsorption equilibrium data were correlated with both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The biomass adsorbent was characterised using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR). Results from this study suggest that lala clam shell, a fishery waste, can be beneficial for water treatment.

US Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior — There is a paucity of knowledge on the population dynamics of the giant clams of the family Tridacnidae. Such information on population dynamics is necessary for...

showing differing isotopic signatures from clams at their original habitat, over time mirroring the changes in clams in the site to which they were transferred. The shift in carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of the clams provides insights into the context-dependent intraspecific feeding plasticity......Species show varying levels of plasticity regarding morphology, physiology and behaviour in relation to their immediate environment, and several trait characteristics are habitat-dependent. Determining when and how the environmental context changes trait expression is of key importance...... food uptake by using stable isotope signatures (delta C-13 and delta N-15). We transplanted individuals between and within two shallow bays differing in exposure (exposed sheltered) and sediment characteristics. Our results show that isotope signatures of clams differed between the two habitats...

Removal by fishing of large sharks has reduced predation-pressure on shark prey and, via a trophic cascade, caused clam populations to crash. This indirect response illustrates why fisheries should be managed in a whole-ecosystem context.

US Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior — A study was conducted quantifying mercury concentrations in the Asiatic clam, Corbicula fluminea, from the North Fork Holston River, Virginia. The purpose of this...

in the adjacent estuarine water suggests that gametogenesis in mud clam is directly related to the phytoplankton production. The condition index (CI), which is generally used to characterize the physiological activity of organisms, varied from 1.9 in September...

sandy beach community (Brown and Mclachlan 1990) and, as ... disturbance of the sediment through clam harvesting activities ...... composition of Donax serra in the East Cape. ... of shore birds on sandy beaches in the Eastern Cape, South.

According to the System Approach Framework (SAF, based on previous studies and stakeholder interactions, we developed a model integrating ecological, social, and economic (ESE aspects. We chose the aspects necessary to represent the essential dynamics of major ecological, social, and economic clam farming system components to project the consequences of implementing alternative management policies and to address the ecological and social carrying capacity. Results of the simulations suggest that a properly managed farming system can sustain an acceptable income and support the local community, while reducing negative environmental impacts, social conflicts, and consumer health risks and improving system resilience. The results highlight the importance of an interdisciplinary, participatory, and adaptive approach in planning the management of this important renewable resource.

In aquatic environments, genotoxicity results from the effects of pollution combined with the inflammatory response triggered by the immune system. Indeed, the production of nitrosylated DNA and proteins are though to arise from the production of peroxinitrite during phagocytosis and inflammation. The purpose of this study was to examine new DNA biomarkers that differentiate between immune- and pollution-mediated genotoxicity in wild clam populations. Intertidal clam populations were sampled ...

Full Text Available Most marine mollusks are osmoconformers, in that, their body fluid osmolality changes in the direction of the change in environmental salinity. Marine mollusks exhibit a number of osmoregulatory mechanisms to cope with either hypo- or hyperosmotic stress. The effects of changes in salinity on the osmoregulatory mechanisms of the hard clam (Meretrix lusoria, an economically important species of marine bivalve for Taiwan have not been determined. In this study, we examined the effect of exposure to hypo (10‰- and hyper (35‰-osmotic salinity on hard clams raised at their natural salinity (20‰. The osmolality, [Na+], and [Cl-] of the hard clam hemolymph were changed in the same direction as the surrounding salinity. Further, the contents of total free amino acids including taurine in the gills and mantles were significantly upregulated in hard clam with increasing salinity. The gill Na+,K+-ATPase (NKA activity, the important enzyme regulating cellular inorganic ions, was not affected by the changed salinity. Mantle NKA activity, however, was stimulated in the 35‰ SW treatment. The taurine transporter (TAUT is related to the regulation of intracellular contents of taurine, the dominant osmolyte. Herein, a TAUT gene of hard clam was cloned and a TAUT antibody was derived for the immunoblotting. The TAUT mRNA expression of the mantle in hard clam was significantly stimulated in 35‰ SW, but protein expression was not modulated by the changed salinity. In gills of the hard clam with 10‰ SW, both TAUT mRNA and protein expressions were significantly stimulated, and it may reflect a feedback regulation from the decreased gills taurine content under long-term hypoosmotic acclimation. These findings suggest that TAUT expression is regulated differently in gills and mantles following exposure to alterations in environmental salinity. Taken together, this study used the physiological, biochemical and molecular approaches to simultaneously explore

Most marine mollusks are osmoconformers, in that, their body fluid osmolality changes in the direction of the change in environmental salinity. Marine mollusks exhibit a number of osmoregulatory mechanisms to cope with either hypo- or hyperosmotic stress. The effects of changes in salinity on the osmoregulatory mechanisms of the hard clam (Meretrix lusoria, an economically important species of marine bivalve for Taiwan) have not been determined. In this study, we examined the effect of exposure to hypo (10‰)- and hyper (35‰)-osmotic salinity on hard clams raised at their natural salinity (20‰). The osmolality, [Na(+)], and [Cl(-)] of the hard clam hemolymph were changed in the same direction as the surrounding salinity. Further, the contents of total free amino acids including taurine in the gills and mantles were significantly upregulated in hard clam with increasing salinity. The gill Na(+), K(+)-ATPase (NKA) activity, the important enzyme regulating cellular inorganic ions, was not affected by the changed salinity. Mantle NKA activity, however, was stimulated in the 35‰ SW treatment. The taurine transporter (TAUT) is related to the regulation of intracellular contents of taurine, the dominant osmolyte. Herein, a TAUT gene of hard clam was cloned and a TAUT antibody was derived for the immunoblotting. The TAUT mRNA expression of the mantle in hard clam was significantly stimulated in 35‰ SW, but protein expression was not modulated by the changed salinity. In gills of the hard clam with 10‰ SW, both TAUT mRNA and protein expressions were significantly stimulated, and it may reflect a feedback regulation from the decreased gills taurine content under long-term hypoosmotic acclimation. These findings suggest that TAUT expression is regulated differently in gills and mantles following exposure to alterations in environmental salinity. Taken together, this study used the physiological, biochemical and molecular approaches to simultaneously explore the

nearby and lead to the aggregated that attaches to the substrate by distribution of clams. means of a byssus (Carriker 1961). When larvae settle, they...have better byssus gland (Belding 1912), the conditions for spat survival than un- active development of siphons and structured bottoms - probably...1961). The foot shortens and the greater numbers of juvenile hard clams byssus gland becomes nonfunctional. than control areas (Parker 1975). Ex

Currently it is impossible to monitor all of Earth's hazardous volcanoes for precursory eruption signals, and it is particularly difficult to monitor volcanoes in remote regions. The primary constraint is the high cost of deploying monitoring instrumentation (e.g., seismometers, gas sensors), which includes the cost of reliable, high-resolution sensors, the cost of maintenance (including periodic travel to remote areas), and the cost/difficulty of developing remote data telemetry. We are developing an integrated monitoring system, the BENTO (Behar's ENvironmental Telemetry and Observation) box that will allow identification of restless volcanoes through widespread deployment of robust, lightweight, low-cost, easily deployable monitoring/telemetry systems. Ultimately, we expect that this strategy will lead to more efficient allocation of instrumentation and associated costs. BENTO boxes are portable, autonomous, self-contained data collection systems are designed for long-term operation (up to ~12 months) in remote environments. They use low-cost two-way communication through the commercial Iridium satellite network, and, depending on data types, can pre-process raw data onboard to obtain useful summary statistics for transmission through Iridium. BENTO boxes also have the ability to receive commands through Iridium, allowing, for example, remote adjustment of sampling rates, or requests for segments of raw data in cases where only summary statistics are routinely transmitted. Currently, BENTO boxes can measure weather parameters (e.g., windspeed, wind direction, rainfall, humidity, atmospheric pressure), volcanic gas (CO2, SO2, and halogens) concentrations, and seismicity. In the future, we plan to interface BENTO boxes with additional sensors such as atmospheric pressure/infrasound, tilt, GPS and temperature. We are currently field-testing 'BENTO 1' boxes equipped with gas and meteorological sensors ('BENTO 1') at Telica Volcano, Nicaragua; Kilauea Volcano, Hawai

The lipids and fatty acids of two coastal clams, Meretrix lamarckii and Ruditapes philippinarum, collected at 5 and 1 m of depth, and a seep clam, Mesolinga soliditesta, collected at 331 m of depth, were examined to assess their lipid physiology and trophic relationship with their diets. The major fatty acids of lipids in Mer. lamarckii and R. philippinarum were 14:0, 16:0, 18:0, 16:1n-7, 18:1n-9, 18:1n-7, 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3, and 22:6n-3, while those of Mes. soliditesta were 16:0, 18:0, 16:1n-7, 18:1n-7, 20:1n-7, 20:1n-13, 20:2n-7, 15 (Δ5,13-20:2), and 22:2n-7,15 (Δ7,15-22:2). The major polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the Mer. lamarckii and R. philippinarum lipids consisted of various n-3 and n-6 long-chain (LC) PUFAs, such as 20:4n-6, 22:4n-6, 20:5n-3, 22:5n-3, and 22:6n-3, while those in Mes. soliditesta muscle and viscera included various n-4 family PUFAs (18:3n-7, 18:4n-4, 20:2n-7, and 20:3n-7) with limited kinds of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs (20:4n-6 and 20:5n-3). These findings indicate that, like other common shallow-water clams, Mer. lamarckii and R. philippinarum ingest phytoplanktonic n-3 and n-6 LC-PUFAs, whereas Mes. soliditesta utilizes limited kinds of n-3 and n-6 LC-PUFAs. In contrast to the other two bivalves species, Mes. soliditesta yielded various n-4 and n-7 (n-4/n-7) PUFAs, which were assimilated from the chemosynthetic symbionts. The high diversity of PUFAs contained in the Mes. soliditesta lipids (n-3, n-4 family, and n-6 PUFAs) suggests that this species mixotrophically utilized both photosynthetic products and vent chemosynthetic nutrition derived from geothermal energy.

Surf clam, Mactra veneriformis is one of the crucial fishery resources in Korea. This study was performed to examine the immune functions of the surf clam under the stress of water temperature changes at 10 degrees C, 20 degrees C or 30 degrees C for 24h. Viable bacterial counts (VBC), total haemocyte count (THC), phagocytic activity, lysozyme activity, NRR times and SOD activity were assessed in three different water temperature groups. Clams held at 10 degrees C decreased in THC, lysozyme activity and NRR times, but phagocytic activity was increased. The highest temperature (30 degrees C) significantly increased in THC, whereas it decreased in phagocytic activity, lysozyme activity and NRR times. In clams maintained at 20 degrees C, phagocytic activity, lysozyme activity and NRR times were increased whereas THC was somewhat decreased with respect to clams held at 30 degrees C. However, water temperature changes did not elicit any alteration of VBC and SOD activity. The present study demonstrates that acute water temperature change affects the haemocytic and haemolymphatic functions, reducing immunosurveillance in stressed surf clam, M. veneriformis.

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) could accumulate in large concentrations in animals living symbiotically with algae. The giant clam family Tridacnidae accumulates DMSP because they have a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates (or zooxanthellae). In this study, well preserved clam tissues from the western Pacific Islands were analyzed to provide definitive evidence of DMSP in the tissues. Six of the common species in the Tridacnidae family were examined. The objective was to test the hypothesis that dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is released from clam tissues soon after death due to the breakdown of DMSP tissue. In particular, it determined if DMS is responsible for the problem of potent odours and off-taste that have hindered the commercial success of giant clams mariculture. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was used in this study to measure DMSP concentrations in siphonal mantle, byssal mantle, adductor muscle and gill tissues. The formation of DMS by tissues after death was documented. It was suggested that since giant clams associate with dinoflagellates, they could accumulate DMSP to high concentrations which could affect multiple properties and functions. It was concluded that the perishability of giant clam tissues is most likely due to the high concentrations of DMS produced one day post mortem. 15 refs., 2 tabs., 4 figs.

When consuming bivalves, special concern should be taken to the total element burden. In order to assess this issue the present study aimed to measure the element levels in the sediments of different harvesting areas and relate them with clam accumulation; to assess the elements body burden, their availability for trophic transfer and relate it with total accumulation in clams, comparing the native (Ruditapes decussatus and Venerupis corrugata) and the invasive (Ruditapes philippinarum) species; to evaluate the human risk associated with the consumption of different clam species. The results showed that the element burden in clams does not reflect the sediment contamination and BAF values were higher in the less contaminated areas. Comparison of Maximum Levels (MLs) from international organizations with the concentration of elements in clams showed that As exceeded standard levels. The ingestion of less than 1 Kg per week of clams would result in exceeding the PTWI threshold for As. Furthermore, the results showed that, when comparing to other elements, As and Hg are more easily available to be transferred trophically.

Full Text Available Giant clams are the largest bivalves in the world that maintain a mutual relationship with zooxanthellae. Individual giant clam can harbor heterogeneous zooxanthellae, at least four taxa in genus Symbiodinium. The Symbiodinium lives in the zooxanthellal tubular system, a tube structure arising from one of the diverticular duct of the clam’s stomach. Since the numbers of zooxanthellae is the one of some significant factors contributing to the clams growth and survival, the giant clams need to adjust the number of zooxanthellae for physiological reason with unclear mechanism. The important role of the symbiotic relationship to the clams can be seen on the survival, growth and nutrition of the clams. There are at least two significant factors determining the symbiosis, i.e. water temperature in related with level of light intensities and ammonium-phosphate rate. Some topic is still unclear, i.e. the determination of species in genus Symbiodinium, the mechanism for adjusting the population numbers of the algae and what kind of environmental factors determining the symbiosis. Thereby further research is still needed to clarify those missing.

Full Text Available Mature angelwing clam, Pholas orientalis were collected from the wild and transported tothe laboratory for broodstock development. They were fed with mixed algal cultures of Isochrysisgalbana, Chaetoceros sp., and Tetraselmis sp. for a period of two months and a half to determine theeffects of these algal cultures on growth and survival of the broodstock. Growth in terms of length wasnot significantly different among the treatment groups, whereas, there was significant reduction in theweight of the clams in the group fed with a mixture of Isochrysis galbana, Chaetoceros sp., andTetraselmis sp. Survival of the clams decreased after two months of feeding with algal diets, withsignificant mortality observed in groups fed with a mixture of Isochrysis galbana and Tetraselmis sp. aswell as with the mixture of the three microalgae. All the water quality parameters in the rearing tankswere within the optimum levels required for optimum growth of the clams. These results showed thatmixed algal diets for broodstock development in angelwing clam have no direct effect on growth butmoderate effect on survival. Future studies are aimed towards determining other factors that willcontribute to better growth and survival of angelwing clam broodstock in captivity as well as for thesearch of alternative algal diets for angelwing broodstock, particularly by exploring the microalgae thatare found in their natural habitat.

Presents a discussion of communication satellites: explains the principles of satellite communication, describes examples of how governments and industries are currently applying communication satellites, analyzes issues confronting satellite communication, links mathematics and science to the study of satellite communication, and applies…

The results of reconstruction of rotational motion of the Foton M-3 satellite during its uncontrolled flight in September 2007 are presented. The reconstruction was performed by processing the data of onboard measurements of the Earth’s magnetic field obtained by the DIMAC instruments. The measurements were carried out continuously throughout the flight, but the processing technique dealt with the data portions covering time intervals of a few orbital revolutions. The data obtained on each such interval were processed jointly by the least squares method with using integration of the equations of satellite motion relative to its center of mass. When processing, the initial conditions of motion and the used mathematical model’s parameters were estimated. The results of processing 16 data sets gave us complete information about the satellite motion. This motion, which began at a low angular velocity, had gradually accelerated and in five days became close to the regular Euler precession of an axisymmetric solid body. At the end of uncontrolled flight the angular velocity of the satellite relative to its lengthwise axis was 0.5 deg/s; the angular velocity projection onto the plane perpendicular to this axis had a magnitude of about 0.18 deg/s.

These opening remarks by the Director General of Unesco briefly discuss that organization's activities in the area of copyright within the field of satellite communication. They were addressed to members of a committee whose purpose is to determine whether the protection of signals transmitted by communications satellites does or does not require…

The magnetic field observation by the CHAMP satellite shows the global and frequent appearance of small scale (1-5 nT) magnetic fluctuations with period around a few tens seconds along the satellites. They have the following characteristics. 1. The signal is perpendicular to the geomagnetic main field, and the amplitude of the zonal component is larger than that of the meridional component. 2. Around the dip equator, as the latitude becomes lower, the period and amplitudes of the two components perpendicular to the main field respectively tend to become longer and smaller (to nearly zero on the dip equator). 3. The amplitude of the magnetic fluctuations on the dayside is larger than that on the night side by around one order in magnitude, which highly correlates to the electric conductivity of the ionospheric dynamo layer. 4. The amplitude shows symmetry about the magnetic dip equator which indicates a magnetic conjugacy to a certain extent. 5. The amplitude shows almost no dependence on the solar wind parameters such as the IMF cone angle nor the solar wind speed, which strongly suggests no association with the Pc3 micro pulsation. 6. The amplitude also shows almost no dependence on the geomagnetic activity. 7. The amplitude has a clear seasonal dependence with topographical characteristics. They can be interpreted as the spatial structure of small scale field-aligned currents generated by the ionospheric dynamo driven by atmospheric gravity waves propagating from the lower atmosphere. The mechanism is the following; first, the gravity waves generated by the lower atmospheric disturbance propagate to the ionosphere; the neutral winds oscillate, cause ionospheric dynamo and Pedersen and Hall currents flow; because the dynamo region is finite, the currents cause polarized electric fields; and the polarized electric fields propagate along the geomagnetic filed as Alfven waves accompanied by field-aligned currents, at the same time, the ionospheric currents divert to

Based on the survey data about clam breeding farmers in Hongdao Town in August 2011,this paper analyzes the production and operation of typical clam breeding pattern,and estimates the costs and benefits. Through the analysis of operation conditions and economic conditions of Hongdao clam breeding,this paper aims to explore a more reasonable and effective breeding pattern so as to reduce breeding costs and market risks,and increase breeding farmers’ income.

In some applications of optical communication systems, such as inter-satellites optical communication, the correlation of the bidirectional tracking beams changes in far-field as a result of wave-front deformation. Far-field correlation model with wave-front deformation on tracking stability is established. Far-field correlation function and factor have been obtained. Combining with parameters of typical laser communication systems, the model is corrected. It shows that deformation pointing-tracking errors θ(A) and θ(B), far-field correlation factor δ depend on RMS of deformation error rms, which decline with a increasing rms including Tilt and Coma. The principle of adjusting far-field correlation factor with wave-front deformation to compensate deformation pointing-tracking errors has been given, through which the deformation pointing-tracking error is reduced to 18.12″ (Azimuth) and 17.65″ (Elevation). Work above possesses significant reference value on optimization design in inter-satellites optical communication.

Eruptive characteristics and histories of Aleutian stratovolcanoes are some of the least understood because of their remote locations, yet they have the ability to cripple the heavily traveled air routes in this region. Remote sensing is useful for gathering information on remote eruption deposits and compliments field observations. Mount Cleveland, on the western part of Chuginadak Island, has been one of the most active of these Aleutian volcanoes over the past century, its most recent eruption disrupted air traffic from February to March 2001. Using field observations of pyroclastic fan deposits preceding an a\\'{}a lava flow down the western flank of Mount Cleveland in 2001 this study attempts to associate spectral characteristics of these deposits (from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), Second European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-2), and RADARSAT-1) to similar characteristics around the entire volcano. By also using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data this study will present a more accurate chronology of the 2001 eruption. Field observations of the pyroclastic fan deposit reveal the existence of two separate stratigraphic deposits, an initial smooth ˜10-30 m thick a\\'{}a block and ash deposit overlain by a rougher ˜1-15 m thin breadcrust bomb deposit. The southern and northeastern parts of the fan are dominated by the thin breadcrust bomb deposit with an average bomb area of 2.38 m2, while the northwestern part is dominated by very large a\\'{}a blocks with pull-apart fractures and a much larger average block area of 22.44 m2. Initial Landsat 7 ETM+ and photographic analysis of this pyroclastic fan displays a slight coloration difference between the two deposits. The stratigraphic sequence of the pyroclastic fan from 2001 suggests that there was 1) a warm to hot debris flow from the collapse of

days at 30’C (Loosanoff et al. comm.). 1951). To move, the clam byssus is cast Juvenile Seed Clam off and the foot is used for locomo- tion (Belding...1931). When the young When the veliger becomes 0.2 to clam reaches a desirable habitat, it 0.3 mm long, the shell thickens, a spins a new byssus and...currents (Anderson et The byssal gland of the seed clam al. 1979), but in the absence of secretes a tough thread, the byssus , predators, Carriker (1959

Kinneret is a 166-km2 lake located in Northern Israel, in the central part of the Jordan Valley, a corridor running from north to south, between the Galilee hills in the west and the Golan Heights in the east. Both the Galilee hills and the Golan Heights reach an elevation of about 400 m above mean sea level (MSL), and the lake is about -210 m (MSL). North of the lake is the mountainous area of the Hermon, culminating at about 2800 m (MSL). About 120 km south of it is the Dead Sea, which is about -410 m (MSL), and about 45 km west of it is the Mediterranean Sea. The complexity of the terrain, combined with relatively arid soil and various ground covers surrounding the lake, results in a very complicated system of atmospheric and lake processes. To understand this system, especially the processes affecting the atmosphere and lake dynamics and thermodynamics, and their effects on Lake Kinneret evaporation, a coupled lake-atmosphere model (CLAM) was developed and applied to the lake region. The CLAM is based on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) and the oceanic S-coordinate Rutgers University Model (SCRUM). Energy, mass, and momentum are conserved at the interface between the atmosphere and the lake, and appropriate balance equations are applied there. In the atmospheric module, two nested grids are employed to simulate Northern Israel at a resolution of 4 x 4 km2, and the near-lake region at a resolution of 1 x 1 km 2. Synoptic conditions obtained from the National Meteorological Center (NMC) reanalysis are assimilated by the model. Soil moisture, which appears to have a significant impact on atmospheric circulation in this region, was transformed from the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Observations collected during two summers above and inside the lake emphasize the good capability of CLAM to simulate surface fluxes and other microclimatic conditions, as well as lake temperature and currents. Although the lake is small (about 12-km wide

Three-axis stabilization of the satellite orientation ensured success for convenient measurements both of electric and magnetic field vectors. X axis was directed along the satellite orbital velocity vector. Z axis was directed upwards, perpendicular to the Earth's surface. Fast flows of electrons and ions were measured in the directions along both +z and -z axes and also perpendicular to z axis. Ionospheric ion concentration meters registered sharp changes of the plasma density. Taking into account the totality meter set data we can conclude that the physical phenomena observed in these measurements are caused by damping both of electrostatic oscillations and plasma vortices. Also it is shown that large-scale irregularity rise and disintegration into small-scale irregular structures can be connected with magnetospheric and ionospheric sources.

A general overview of current technology in the field of communication satellite antennas is presented. Among the topics discussed are: the design of multiple beam systems; frequency reuse; and polarization control of antenna measurements. Consideration is also given to: contour beam synthesis; dual shaped reflector synthesis; beam shaping; and offset reflector design. The applications of the above technologies to present and future generations of communications satellites is considered, with emphasis given to such systems as: the Intelsats; the Defense Satellite Communications System, (DSCS-III); Satellite Business System (SBS), and Comstar.

Satellites mapping the spatial variations of the gravitational or magnetic fields of the Earth or other planets ideally fly on polar orbits, uniformly covering the entire globe. Thus, potential fields on the sphere are usually expressed in spherical harmonics, basis functions with global support. For various reasons, however, inclined orbits are favorable. These leave a "polar gap": an antipodal pair of axisymmetric polar caps without any data coverage, typically smaller than 10 degrees in diameter for terrestrial gravitational problems, but 20 degrees or more in some planetary magnetic configurations. The estimation of spherical harmonic field coefficients from an incompletely sampled sphere is prone to error, since the spherical harmonics are not orthogonal over the partial domain of the cut sphere. Although approaches based on wavelets have gained in popularity in the last decade, we present a method for localized spherical analysis that is firmly rooted in spherical harmonics. We construct a basis of band...

Full Text Available The contamination of the benthic environment poses a threat to long-lived sessile organisms such as clams. The purpose of this study was to investigate metal contamination in tissues and changes in metallothioneins (MT in respect to its redox status in Mya arenaria clams collected at three polluted sites. The phosphorylation state of MT was also investigated to determine whether this state is changed in clams collected at heavy-metal contaminated site and its involvement in cytoprotective signaling during stress contamination. The results show that clams collected at least one of the three polluted sites presented significantly higher concentrations of silver (Ag, arsenic (As, cobalt (Co, copper (Cu, mercury (Hg, nickel (Ni, tin (Sn and lead (Pb in tissues. In the visceral tissue, total MT levels and the reduced, metal-binding form of the protein were significantly induced at the sites. The phosphorylation of MT and mitochondrial activity, as determined by electron transport and cytochrome c oxidase activities, were also significantly reduced at the contaminated sites. Reduced phosphate levels in MT were negatively correlated with total MT levels, suggesting that decreased phosphorylation was involved in kinase-mediated signaling during cellular stress and could possibly alter the protein’s affinity to confer cytoprotection against heavy metal contamination. These preliminary investigations revealed that the phosphorylation state could change in polluted environment and provide some clues on the modulation of binding affinities during heavy-metal and oxidative stress in clams.

Full Text Available In aquatic environments, genotoxicity results from the effects of pollution combined with the inflammatory response triggered by the immune system. Indeed, the production of nitrosylated DNA and proteins are though to arise from the production of peroxinitrite during phagocytosis and inflammation. The purpose of this study was to examine new DNA biomarkers that differentiate between immune- and pollution-mediated genotoxicity in wild clam populations. Intertidal clam populations were sampled and analyzed for gonadal DNA strand breaks, DNA nitrosylation and xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR activity (purine salvage pathway. The clam weight-to-shell-length ratio, the gonado-somatic index (GSI, age status, lipid peroxidation, xenobiotic conjugation activity (glutathione S-transferase (GST and phagocytic activity were examined to shed light on their relationships with the observed genotoxic endpoints. XOR activity and DNA strand breaks were generally elevated at polluted sites and correlated significantly with clam weight-to-shell-length ratios and DNA nitrosylation. DNA nitrosylation was also higher at some sites and correlated significantly with phagocytic activity and with DNA strand breaks. This study showed that DNA strand breaks were associated with both immune- and pollution-mediated effects. This suggests that there is a loss of DNA repair capacity due to the combined effects of aging, pollution and immune response in wild clam populations that are impacted by anthropogenic activity.

A risk assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in bloody clams (Anadara granosa) consumed in southern Thailand was conducted. This study estimated the prevalence and concentration of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in bloody clams at harvest and retail stages; and during this process, methods to detect the total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus were investigated. Consumption of bloody clams and cooking efficiency were studied using interviews and on-site observation of consumers. A beta-Poisson dose-response model was used to estimate probability of illness applying estimation methods for the most likely parameter values presented by USFDA. Microbial and behavioral data were analyzed by developing a stochastic model and the simulation gave a mean number of times a person would get ill with V. parahaemolyticus by consuming bloody clams at 5.6 x 10(-4)/person/year. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the fraction of people who did not boil the clams properly was the primary factor in increasing risk. This study serves as an example of how a microbiological risk assessment with limited data collection and international cooperation leads to valuable local insight.

Full Text Available Policy-making and enforcement remains centralized in Vietnam. Policies have been formulated with less scientific and public justification, thus being largely bureaucratic and infeasible, and in many cases, they have created plagues for people at the grass-roots levels. This article focuses on the implementation of policies related to intertidal land-use and supports for clam farming in the Thaibinh province as a case study to explore the impacts of policies on clam farming and farmers. During the period of 2011–2013, provincial policies on intertidal land allocation and technical and financial supports had boosted clam farming development in the province to a surprising extent. Rapid expansion of the clam farming area has created significant consequences for the farming sector, as well as farmer’s lives. However, for the same provincial policies, but with different enforcement, different farming outcomes for clam farmers in the three study communes have resulted. Where farmers had more of a voice and choice in bidding for the intertidal areas they preferred, they faced fewer problems. It is, thus, suggested that a more decentralized policy-making and enforcement are needed, in which more scientific assessment and farmer participation are required to not only make government policy more successful in supporting farmers and achieving their expected outcomes, but also to provide farmers with more room to make their own farming decisions from which farming and marketing risks could be mitigated.

Laguna de Pom is a coastal lagoon within the Laguna de Terminos system in southern Gulf of Mexico. It belongs to the Grijalva-Usumacinta basin, and is located between 18{degrees} 33{prime} and 18{degrees} 38{prime} north latitude and 92{degrees} 01{prime} and 92{degrees} 14{prime} west longitude, in the Coastal Plain physiographic Province of the Gulf. It is ellipsoidal and approximately 10 km long, with a surface area of 5,200 ha and a mean depth of 1.5 m. Water salinity and temperature ranges are 0 to 13 {per_thousand} and 25{degrees} to 31{degrees}C, respectively. Benthic macrofauna is dominated by bivalves such as the clams Rangia cuneata, R. flexuosa, and Polymesoda carolineana. These clams provide the basis of an artisanal fishery, which is the main economic activity in the region. The presence of several oil-processing facilities around the lagoon is very conspicuous, which together with decreasing yields has created social conflicts, with the fishermen blaming the mexican state oil company (PEMEX) for the decrease in the clam population. This work aims to determine if the concentration of hydrocarbons in the clams (R. cuneata) and sediments of Laguna de Pom are responsible for the declining clam fishery. 11 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

The Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, is an economically important shellfish in marine aquaculture, with a broad thermal tolerance. The ability to cope with cold stress is quite important for the survival of aquatic species under natural conditions. A cold-tolerant clam that can survive the winter at temperatures below 0 °C might extend our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the response to cold stress. In this study, the transcriptional response of the Manila clam to cold stress (-1 °C) was characterized using RNA sequencing. The transcriptomes of a cold-treatment (O) group of clams, which survived under cold stress, and the control group (OC2), which was not subjected to cold stress, were sequenced with the Illumina HiSeq platform. In all, 148,593 unigenes were generated. Compared with the unigene expression profile of the control group, 1760 unigenes were up regulated and 2147 unigenes were down regulated in the O group. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses revealed that signal transduction, mitochondrial metabolism, cellular component organization or biogenesis, and energy production processes were the most highly enriched pathways among the genes that were differentially expressed under cold stress. All these pathways could be assigned to the following biological functions in the cold-tolerant Manila clam: signal response to cold stress, antioxidant response, cell proliferation, and energy production.

To survive the juvenile stage, giant clam juveniles need to establish a symbiotic relationship with the microalgae Symbiodinium occurring in the environment. The percentage of giant clam juveniles succeeding in symbiosis establishment (“symbiosis rate”) is often low, which is problematic for seed producers. We investigated how and why symbiosis rates vary, depending on whether giant clam seeds are continuously reared in UV treated or non treated seawater. Results repeatedly demonstrated that symbiosis rates were lower for UV treated seawater than for non treated seawater. Symbiosis rates were also lower for autoclaved seawater and 0.2-µm filtered seawater than for non treated seawater. The decreased symbiosis rates in various sterilized seawater suggest the possibility that some factors helping symbiosis establishment in natural seawater are weakened owing to sterilization. The possible factors include vitality of giant clam seeds, since additional experiments revealed that survival rates of seeds reared alone without Symbiodinium were lower in sterilized seawater than in non treated seawater. In conclusion, UV treatment of seawater was found to lead to decreased symbiosis rates, which is due possibly to some adverse effects common to the various sterilization techniques and relates to the vitality of the giant clam seeds. PMID:23613802

Strain LHWP2(T), a novel, aerobic, budding, motile and ovoid bacterium belonging to the phylum Planctomycetes, was isolated from a dead ark clam (Scapharca broughtonii) from the south coast of Korea. Strain LHWP2(T) grew optimally at 30 °C, in the presence of 4% (w/v) NaCl, and at pH 7. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C16:0, C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c (summed feature 8) and C18:1ω9c. The major isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone-6 (MK-6). The dominant polar lipid was identified as phosphatidylglycerol. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the novel strain was most closely related to Blastopirellula marina DSM 3645(T), with a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 94.1%. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain LHWP2(T) was 49.5 mol%. Strain LHWP2(T) was distinguished from B. marina DSM 3645(T) based on its optimum salinity, acid production from substrates, assimilation of substrates and DNA G+C content. Overall, these phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data suggest that strain LHWP2(T) should be classified as a novel species belonging to the genus Blastopirellula, for which the name Blastopirellula cremea sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LHWP2(T) (=KACC 15559(T)=JCM 17758(T)).

A novel Gram-positive, aerobic, motile, hemolytic, endospore-forming and rod-shaped bacterium TW25(T) was isolated from a dead ark clam during a mass mortality event on the South coast of Korea. The strain grew optimally at 30°C, at pH 8-9, and with 1% (w/v) NaCl. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain TW25(T) was associated with the genus Ornithinibacillus and that it was most closely related to the type strain of Ornithinibacillus californiensis (98.5% similarity). The dominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0 and C16:0. The peptidoglycan amino acid type was A4β, containing L: -ornithine and D: -aspartic acid. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, four unidentified phospholipids, two unidentified aminolipids and two unidentified lipids. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7). The G + C content of genomic DNA was 36.7 mol%. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments with related strains revealed lower than 11 ± 3% relatedness. Based on this polyphasic taxonomic study, strain TW25(T) represents a novel species in the genus Ornithinibacillus, for which the name Ornithinibacillus scapharcae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TW25(T) (=KACC 15116(T) = JCM 17314(T)).

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Vesicomyidae (Bivalvia: Mollusca are a family of clams that form symbioses with chemosynthetic gamma-proteobacteria. They exist in environments such as hydrothermal vents and cold seeps and have a reduced gut and feeding groove, indicating a large dependence on their endosymbionts for nutrition. Recently, two vesicomyid symbiont genomes were sequenced, illuminating the possible nutritional contributions of the symbiont to the host and making genome-wide evolutionary analyses possible. Results To examine the genomic evolution of the vesicomyid symbionts, a comparative genomics framework, including the existing genomic data combined with heterologous microarray hybridization results, was used to analyze conserved gene content in four vesicomyid symbiont genomes. These four symbionts were chosen to include a broad phylogenetic sampling of the vesicomyid symbionts and represent distinct chemosynthetic environments: cold seeps and hydrothermal vents. Conclusion The results of this comparative genomics analysis emphasize the importance of the symbionts' chemoautotrophic metabolism within their hosts. The fact that these symbionts appear to be metabolically capable autotrophs underscores the extent to which the host depends on them for nutrition and reveals the key to invertebrate colonization of these challenging environments.

Although the first satellite observations of the Earth’s magnetic field were already taken more than 50 years ago, continuous geomagnetic measurements from space are only available since 1999. The unprecedented time-space coverage of this recent data set opened revolutionary new possibilities...... for exploring the Earth’s magnetic field from space. In this chapter we discuss characteristics of satellites measuring the geomagnetic field and report on past, present and upcoming magnetic satellite missions. We conclude with some basics about space magnetic gradiometry as a possible path for future...... exploration of Earth’s magnetic field with satellites....

Cooperative and Cognitive Satellite Systems provides a solid overview of the current research in the field of cooperative and cognitive satellite systems, helping users understand how to incorporate state-of-the-art communication techniques in innovative satellite network architectures to enable the next generation of satellite systems. The book is edited and written by top researchers and practitioners in the field, providing a comprehensive explanation of current research that allows users to discover future technologies and their applications, integrate satellite and terrestrial systems

Two species of edible clams Venerupis aurea laeta and Cerastoderma edule glaucum from Ganzirri Lake (Sicily, Italy) were investigated to determine OCP and PCB residues by GC-MS. Thirty-five samples were examined for two years in order to perform: a) their actual contamination; b) the daily dietary exposure of seafood consumers to the pollutants in question. In all the clams analysed in this study, PCB and OCP (4,4'-DDE) residues are always below the limits fixed by law. It seems that there is some seasonality of concentrations observed. In fact the more high concentrations of residues are detected in the hot months, for both species and years. Given the consumption of clams and the values obtained in this study for the two species analysed, it is possible estimate that the average daily dietary intake of NDL-PCB and of 4,4'-DDE for adults is really low.

To identify the metacercariae of a gymnophallid trematode in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum from the Ariake Sea, experimental infection and molecular analysis were conducted. Based on the morphology of adult worms obtained from experimentally infected mice, the parasite was identified as Parvatrema duboisi. Comparison of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences for metacercariae and sporocysts from Manila clams and adult worms collected from wild wigeon Anas penelope showed minor differences ranging from 0 to 0.8%. These data strongly suggest that in the Ariake Sea, the parasite has a lifecycle using the Manila clam as the first and second intermediate hosts and wigeon as the definitive host.

Highlights: • High cycle fatigue properties of CLAM steel were investigated at 723 K and 823 K. • The condition fatigue limit at N = 10{sup 7} were 275 MPa and 235 MPa at 723 K and 823 K. • Fatigue strength decreased when stress and temperature increased at 723 K and 823 K. • Dislocation density decrease and subgrain coarsening during the test process were the possible reasons for fatigue limit decrease. - Abstract: This paper highlights the results of a study on the high cycle fatigue strength and fracture mechanism of China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel. The high cycle fatigue test results showed that the fatigue strength of CLAM steel decreased with the temperature, and the condition fatigue strengths (N = 10{sup 7}) were 275 MPa and 235 MPa at 723 K and 823 K, respectively. The fractograph results indicated that the fractures were mainly initiated from the surface of the specimen.

Akkeshi Lake is a subarctic shallow brackish lagoon located in Hokkaido, Japan. The Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, is cultured in sandy sediments at the shallow, intertidal flat near the mouth of the lake. To quantitatively evaluate the effects of environmental factors such as water temperature and food availability on the growth of the Manila clam and to estimate the responses of Manila clam growth and food availability to global warming in Akkeshi Lake, we developed a numerical model by coupling a three-dimensional ecosystem model with a bioenergetics model for the growth of the Manila clam. We ran the model under two different conditions: the present condition and the global warming condition. For the global warming condition, water temperature was increased by 2 °C at the open boundary for the entire computational period. The growth of the Manila clam was limited by water temperature and food availability. The Manila clam grew up to 1.33 g dry weight ind.-1 at the lake mouth (station A) for 5 years, whereas it grew up to 1.00 g dry weight ind.-1 at the lake center (station B). The difference in the biomass of the Manila clam between two stations was due to the difference in food availability. Under the global warming condition, the water temperature limitation for the Manila clam was relaxed with a water temperature increase. The Manila clam grew up to 1.55 g dry weight ind.-1 at station A and 1.10 g dry weight ind.-1 at station B. While the growth of the Manila clam was improved in the lake under the global warming condition, its food sources, especially phytoplankton, decreased because of ingestion increases of grazers.

This work presents an early look at irradiation effects on China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel with nanocrystalline grains (NC-CLAM steels) under 500 keV Xe-ion bombardment at room temperature to doses up to 5.3 displacements per atom (dpa). The microstructure in the topmost region of the steel is composed of nanocrystalline grains with an average diameter of 13 nm. As the samples were implanted at low dose, the nanocrystalline grains had martensite lath structure, and many dislocations and high density bubbles were introduced into the NC-CLAM steels. As the irradiation dose up to 5.3 dpa, a tangled dislocation network exists in the lath region, and the size of the bubbles increases. X-ray diffraction results show that the crystal quality decreases after irradiation, although the nanocrystals obviously coarsen. Grain growth under irradiation may be ascribed to the direct impact of the thermal spike on grain boundaries in the NC-CLAM steels. In irradiated samples, a compressive stress exists in the surface layer because of grain growth and irradiation-introduced defects, while the irradiation introduced grain-size coarsening and defects gradients from the surface to matrix result in a tensile stress in the irradiated NC-CLAM steels. Nanoindentation was used to estimate changes in mechanical properties during irradiation, and the results show that the hardness of the NC-CLAM steels increases with increasing irradiation dose, which was ascribed to the competition between the grain boundaries and the irradiation-introduced defects.

Magnetic islands are considered to play a crucial role in collisionless magnetic reconnection. We use particle-in-cell simulations to investigate electric field Ez structure in the magnetic islands (including primary and secondary islands) with and without a guide field during magnetic reconnection. It is found that the electric field has multilayers in the primary island and a large bipolar structure in the secondary island in the absence of guide field. The electric field is provided by the Hall term (J × B)z (mainly), the divergence of electron pressure tensor, and the convective term (Vi × B)z in the outer and the inner region of primary island, while the electric field is much smaller (~0) in the middle and the core region of primary island due to the cancelation of the three terms. The single bipolar electric field is primarily provided by the Hall term in the secondary island. In the presence of a guide field, the electric field has multiple layers in the primary island (similar to zero guide field case) and the secondary island. However, there still exists one single large sharp bipolar structure of electric field in the central region of the secondary island. The differences of electric field in the primary and secondary islands are essentially due to the variations of the current Jy. These features can be used as the observational criteria to identify different types of magnetic islands in the magnetosphere using the data of future mission, such as the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission.

Geoinformatics is a highly specialized discipline that deals with Remote Sensing, Geographical Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and field surveys for assessing, quantification, development and management of resources, planning and infrastructure development, utility services etc. Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), a premier institute and one of its kinds has played a key role for capacity Building in this specialized area since its inception in 1966. Realizing the large demand, IIRS has started outreach program in basics of Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS for universities and institutions. EDUSAT (Educational Satellite) is the communication satellite built and launched by ISRO in 2004 exclusively for serving the educational sector to meet the demand for an interactive satellite based distance education system for the country. IIRS has used EDUSAT (shifted to INSAT 4 CR recently due to termination of services from EDUSAT) for its distance learning program to impart basic training in Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS, catering to the universities spread across India. The EDUSAT based training is following similar to e-learning method but has advantage of live interaction sessions between teacher and the students when the lecture is delivered using EDUSAT satellite communication. Because of its good quality reception the interactions are not constrained due to bandwidth problems of Internet. National Natural Resource Management System, Department of Space, Government of India, under Standing Committee in Training and Technology funded this unique program to conduct the basic training in Geoinformatics. IIRS conducts 6 weeks basic training course on "Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS" regularly since the year 2007. The course duration is spread over the period of 3 months beginning with the start of the academic year (1st semester) i.e., July to December every year, for university students. IIRS has utilized EDUSAT satellite for conducting 4 six weeks

Full Text Available Geoinformatics is a highly specialized discipline that deals with Remote Sensing, Geographical Information System (GIS, Global Positioning System (GPS and field surveys for assessing, quantification, development and management of resources, planning and infrastructure development, utility services etc. Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS, a premier institute and one of its kinds has played a key role for capacity Building in this specialized area since its inception in 1966. Realizing the large demand, IIRS has started outreach program in basics of Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS for universities and institutions. EDUSAT (Educational Satellite is the communication satellite built and launched by ISRO in 2004 exclusively for serving the educational sector to meet the demand for an interactive satellite based distance education system for the country. IIRS has used EDUSAT (shifted to INSAT 4 CR recently due to termination of services from EDUSAT for its distance learning program to impart basic training in Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS, catering to the universities spread across India. The EDUSAT based training is following similar to e-learning method but has advantage of live interaction sessions between teacher and the students when the lecture is delivered using EDUSAT satellite communication. Because of its good quality reception the interactions are not constrained due to bandwidth problems of Internet. National Natural Resource Management System, Department of Space, Government of India, under Standing Committee in Training and Technology funded this unique program to conduct the basic training in Geoinformatics. IIRS conducts 6 weeks basic training course on "Remote Sensing, GIS and GPS" regularly since the year 2007. The course duration is spread over the period of 3 months beginning with the start of the academic year (1st semester i.e., July to December every year, for university students. IIRS has utilized EDUSAT satellite for

The inverse theory of potential fields shows that the correspondence between the internal magnetic field of the Earth and its field sources is unique when the potential field is known in all points of the three-dimensional space including all points of the source region (cp., e.g. Diesselhorst, H., 1939. Magnetische Felder und Kräfte. Johann Ambrosius Barth Verlag, Leipzig). Thus, to determine the sources of the field it is not sufficient to know the potential field in the space external to the sources. Moreover, field models derived from finite sets of potential field observations emphasize different source properties because of measurement errors. In this study, I argue that improved internal field models can be developed from multi-altitude magnetic observations by imposing more effective constraints on the poorly conditioned downward continuation problem. In particular, the convergence behaviour of spherical harmonic field models can be used to improve the downward continuation of the higher truncation index terms. A high quality approximation of the field continuation is essential when the field models are interpreted for relatively small field contributions such as from the lithospheric sources. The relations between the potential field and its sources including the problems of potential field continuations - upward and downward - are governed by the theory of ill-posed inverse problems (cp., e.g. Anger, G., 1990. Inverse Problems in Differential Equations. Akademie/Plenum Press, Berlin/London; Anger, G., Gorenflo, R., Jochmann, H., Moritz, H., Webers, W. (Eds.), 1993. Inverse Problems: Principles and Applications in Geophysics, Technology, and Medicine. Akademie, Berlin; Huestis, S.P., Parker, R.L., 1979. Upward and downward continuations as inverse problems. Geophys. J. R. Astr. Soc. 57, 171-188; Rösler, R., 1981. Über die Fehlerfortpflanzung bei Potentialfeldtransformationen. Gerlands Beitr. Gephys. 90, 47-57).

Observations of DC electric fields and associated E x B plasma drifts gathered by the Vector Electric Field Investigation (VEFI) on the Air Force Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite are presented. We show statistical averages of the vector fields and resulting E x B plasma flows for the first three years of operations as a function of season, longitude, local time, and Fl 0.7 conditions. Magnetic field data from the VEFI science magnetometer are used to compute the plasma flows. Although typically displaying eastward and outward-directed fields during the day and westward and downward-directed fields at night, the data from DC electric field detector often reveal variations from this pattern that depend on longitude, solar activity, and plasma density. Clear "wave-4" tidal effects in both electric field components have been detected and will be presented. Zonal plasma drifts show a marked variation with solar activity and may be used as a proxy for neutral winds at night. Evidence for pre-reversal enhancements in the meridional drifts that depend on solar activity is present for some longitudes, and are corroborated by clear evidence in the plasma density data that the spacecraft journeyed below the F-peak during evenings when the rise in the ionosphere is most pronounced. In addition to DC electric fields, the data reveal considerable electric field structures at large scales (approx 100's of km) that are usually confined to the nightside. Although such electric field structures are typically associated with plasma density depletions and structures, what is surprising is the number of cases in which large amplitude, structured DC electric fields are observed without a significant plasma density counterpart structure, including their appearance at times when the ambient plasma density appears relatively quiescent. We investigate the mapping of structured electric fields along magnetic field lines from distant locations and consider

There is increasing interest in the development of statistical sampling designs for aboveground biomass (and carbon) inventory and monitoring programs that can make efficient use of a variety of available data sources, including field plots, airborne lidar sampling, and satellite imagery. While the use of multiple sources, or levels, of remote sensing data can significantly increase the precision of biomass change estimates, especially in remote areas (such as interior Alaska) where it is extremely expensive to establish field plots, it can be challenging to accurately characterize the uncertainty (i.e. variance and bias) of the estimates obtained from these complex multi-level designs. In this study we evaluate a model-based approach to estimate changes in biomass over the western lowlands of the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska during the period 2004-2009 using a combination of field plots, lidar sampling, and satellite imagery. The model-based approach -- where all inferences are conditioned on the model relating the remote-sensing measurements to the inventory parameter of interest (e.g. biomass) - is appropriate for cases where it is cost-prohibitive, or infeasible, to establish a probability sample of field plots that are both spatially and temporally coincident with each remote sensing data set. For example, a model-based approach can be used to obtain biomass estimates over a period of time, even when field data is only available for the current time period. In this study, lidar data were collected in 2004 and 2009 over single swaths that covered 130 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots distributed on a regular grid over the entire western Kenai. Field measurements on FIA plots were initially acquired over the period 1999-2003 and fifty-percent of these plots were remeasured in the period 2004-2009. In addition, high-accuracy coordinates (GPS equipment. Changes in biomass (and associated uncertainty) estimated from field remeasurements alone were compared to

Satellite altimetry provides continuous, accur ate, and homogenous data ser ies in marine areas .Th e Sea Surf ace Heigh ts (SSH) ex tracted from altimetry data w as used in a method sear ching for the least squares of the sea surface topography to simultaneously d etermine the geoidal height and the sea surface topography as well in the Persian Gulf and the Oman sea. This is contrary to th e methods wh ich r equire the knowledge of one parameter to estimate the other. The North and East componen ts of the deflections of vertical w ere also estimated by differentiating the der ived geoid al heights in the corresponding directions, and finally the free- air grav ity anomalies w ere computed utilizing the inverse V ening- Meinesz integral.

Full Text Available Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a concentration is considered as a key indicator of the eutrophic status of inland water bodies. Various algorithms have been developed for estimating Chl-a in order to improve the accuracy of predictive models. The objective of this study is to assess the potential of hyperspectral multi-band indices to estimate the Chl-a concentration in Dianshan Lake, which is the largest lake in Shanghai, an international metropolis of China. Based on field spectral measurements and in-situ Chl-a concentration collected on 7–8 September 2010, hyperspectral multi-band indices were calibrated to estimate the Chl-a concentration with optimal wavelengths selected by model tuning. A three-band index accounts for 87.36% (R2 = 0.8736 of the Chl-a variation. A four-band index, which adds a wavelength in the near infrared (NIR region, results in a higher R2 (0.8997 by removing the absorption and backscattering effects of suspended solids. To test the applicability of the proposed indices for routinely monitoring of Chl-a in inland lakes, simulated Hyperion and real HJ-1A satellite data were selected to estimate the Chl-a concentration. The results show that the explanatory powers of these satellite hyperspectral multi-band indices are relatively high with R2 = 0.8559, 0.8945, 0.7969, and 0.8241 for simulated Hyperion and real HJ-1A satellite data, respectively. All of the results provide strong evidence that hyperspectral multi-band indices are promising and applicable to estimate Chl-a in eutrophic inland lakes.

Top space experts from around the world have collaborated to produce this comprehensive, authoritative, and clearly illustrated reference guide to the fast growing, multi-billion dollar field of satellite applications and space communications. This handbook, done under the auspices of the International Space University based in France, addresses not only system technologies but also examines market dynamics, technical standards and regulatory constraints. The handbook is a completely multi-disciplinary reference book that covers, in an in-depth fashion, the fields of satellite telecommunications, Earth observation, remote sensing, satellite navigation, geographical information systems, and geosynchronous meteorological systems. It covers current practices and designs as well as advanced concepts and future systems. It provides a comparative analysis of the common technologies and design elements for satellite application bus structures, thermal controls, power systems, stabilization techniques, telemetry, com...

for exploring the Earth’s magnetic field from space. In this chapter we discuss characteristics of satellites measuring the geomagnetic field and report on past, present and upcoming magnetic satellite missions. We conclude with some basics about space magnetic gradiometry as a possible path for future...

Full Text Available The use of marine spatial planning for zoning multi-use areas is growing in both developed and developing countries. Comprehensive maps of marine resources, including those important for local fisheries management and biodiversity conservation, provide a crucial foundation of information for the planning process. Using a combination of field and high spatial resolution satellite data, we use an empirical procedure to create a bathymetric map (RMSE 1.76 m and object-based image analysis to produce accurate maps of geomorphic and benthic coral reef classes (Kappa values of 0.80 and 0.63; 9 and 33 classes, respectively covering a large (>260 km2 traditional fisheries management area in Fiji. From these maps, we derive per-pixel information on habitat richness, structural complexity, coral cover and the distance from land, and use these variables as input in models to predict fish species richness, diversity and biomass. We show that random forest models outperform five other model types, and that all three fish community variables can be satisfactorily predicted from the high spatial resolution satellite data. We also show geomorphic zone to be the most important predictor on average, with secondary contributions from a range of other variables including benthic class, depth, distance from land, and live coral cover mapped at coarse spatial scales, suggesting that data with lower spatial resolution and lower cost may be sufficient for spatial predictions of the three fish community variables.

Leaf area is an important ecosystem variable that relates to vegetation biomass, productivity, water and nutrient use in natural and agricultural systems globally. Since the 1980s, optical satellite image-based estimates of leaf area based on indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) have greatly improved understanding of vegetation structure, function, and responses to disturbance at landscape (10^3 km2) to continental (10^6 km2) spatial scales. However, at landscape scales, satellites have failed to capture many leaf area patterns indicative of vegetation succession, crop types, stress and other conditions important for ecological processes. Small drones (UAS - unmanned aerial systems) offer new means for assessing leaf area and vegetation structure at higher spatial resolutions (changes and variability, including vegetation recovery from fire (Mallorca), and leaf-area and biomass variability due to orchard type and agro-ecosystem management (Matera, New Jersey). Finally, we highlight promising ways forward for improving field data collection and the use of UAS observations to monitor vegetation leaf-area and biomass change at landscape scales in natural and agricultural systems.

The optical wide-field patrol network (OWL-Net) is a Korean optical surveillance system that tracks and monitors domestic satellites. In this study, a batch least squares algorithm was developed for optical measurements and verified by Monte Carlo simulation and covariance analysis. Potential error sources of OWL-Net, such as noise, bias, and clock errors, were analyzed. There is a linear relation between the estimation accuracy and the noise level, and the accuracy significantly depends on the declination bias. In addition, the time-tagging error significantly degrades the observation accuracy, while the time-synchronization offset corresponds to the orbital motion. The Cartesian state vector and measurement bias were determined using the OWL-Net tracking data of the KOMPSAT-1 and Cryosat-2 satellites. The comparison with known orbital information based on two-line elements (TLE) and the consolidated prediction format (CPF) shows that the orbit determination accuracy is similar to that of TLE. Furthermore, the precision and accuracy of OWL-Net observation data were determined to be tens of arcsec and sub-degree level, respectively.

The facultative deposit-feeding clam Macoma balthica is used as a bioindicator organism for assessing coastal metal contamination. Previous work has evaluated the assimilation of metals from different possible food sources for this clam, but no studies have measured the uptake rates of metals from different dissolved sources. This study specifically compares three different dissolved sources: overlying water (SW), oxic pore water (OPW) from a depth of deposit feeding), and burrow water (BW) (a mixture of anoxic pore water and overlying water). Uptake rates of dissolved Ag, Cd, and Co in M. balthica were measured in short-term laboratory experiments using radiotracers. Clams were exposed to metals in water only for SW and surface OPW treatments. In the BW treatment, metal uptake was compared in clams placed in radiolabeled organic-poor or organic-rich sediment under conditions in which feeding was inhibited. Uptake rate constantsfrom SW for Ag, Cd, and Co were 0.35, 0.033, and 0.035 L g(-1) day(-1), respectively. Lower uptake of dissolved metals from OPW was noted but was only significant for Co. Metal uptake from BW and SW were also comparable; however, the trend showed lower Ag and higher Co uptake from BW. Metal distributions and concentrations in the two radiolabeled sediments were affected by active irrigation of SW into the burrows; dissolved metal concentrations in BW were approximately 30% lower than that in the bulk pore water concentrations. In the organic-rich sediment, Cd and Ag partitioned more in the dissolved phase (sensitivity analysis using measured rate constants for uptake and a range of metal concentrations from field studies suggested that, under most conditions, uptake of dissolved Ag is primarily from OPW, Co is mostly from BW, and Cd uptake varies depending on its concentration in each compartment. Little Co or Ag is likely to be taken up from SW, whereas 20-50% of Cd may be accumulated from this source. Thus, SW, OPW, and BW are all

Chemical inducement and DDRT-PCR (differential display reverse transcription PCR) are adopted to investigate the effect of epinephrine (EPI) on the settlement and metamorphosis of Manila clam larvae. Chemical inducement shows that EPI has an effect to some extent on the metamorphosis of Manila clam larvae at all concentrations and in all treatments designed. The most significant result of inducement is obtained at the concentration of 10-6 molL-1 and for 4 h. DDRT-PCR using six primer pairs shows that the gene expression pattern is quite different between EPI treatment and the control. Three hundred and forty-three amplification bands are obtained in total, among which, 67 (19.53%) are differentially appeared.Therefore, EPI has an effect on the gene expression of the eye spot larval Manila clam. It can be hypothesized that EPI is a settlement and metamorphosis inducer for Manila clam. EPI may lead to larvae settlement and metamorphosis by binding to the receptors on the membrane and then changing the gene expression of larvae cells.

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate molecular characterization and the immune responses of Manila clam hydramacin (Rp-hdmc. Methods: cDNA sequence of hydramacin was isolated from Manila clam transcriptome database. Molecular characterization of hydramacin cDNA was performed by BLAST and SWISS-MODEL bioinformatics programs. Tissue-specific expression and transcriptional regulation after Vibrio tapetis challenge was done by quantitative real time PCR. Results: Rp-hdmc has 291 bp open reading frame (ORF, encoding 97 amino acids with a mature hydramacin consisting of 77 amino acid residues. In un-challenged clam, Rp-hdmc was constitutively expressed in all tested tissues and the highest expression level was detected in gill. After pathogenic bacteria Vibrio tapetis challenge, Rp-hdmc mRNA was up-regulated in gill and hemocytes. Conclusions: We identified hydramacin cDNA (Rp-hdmc from mollusk Manila clam that shows the characteristic features of hydramacin sequence. It has eight cysteine residues with four disulfide linkages, three helices and two β-strands in secondary structure. Expression results after V. tapetis challenges suggest that Rp-hdmc is involved in immune response against pathogenic bacteria.

A SOCIAL COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF A SMALL-SCALE CLAM FISHERY IN ... as well as damage the aesthetic and ecological attributes of the beach system, ... the highest NPV was obtained for the scenario in which total production was ...

Although metal contamination is a problem of major concern in the lagoon of New Caledonia due to intense mining activities conducted on land, very little is known on the metal ecotoxicology of local marine organisms. The clam Gafrarium tumidum was investigated to assess its usefulness as a bioindicator species of metal contamination in this lagoon. More particularly, allometric relationships between metal accumulation and clam size were determined for five common metals in New Caledonian lagoon waters (Cd, Cr, Co, Zn and Ag) using a highly sensitive radiotracer technique. Experimental results showed that allometric relationships were dependent on the element and on the body compartment considered. As a rule, allometric relationships of metal concentration factor were more pronounced in shell than in soft parts. Significant relationships with clam size for Cd, Cr, Co and Zn followed inverse power functions. In contrast, the degree of Ag bioaccumulation was positively correlated with size. In view of the literature on Ag in bivalves, the latter observation suggests the occurrence of a specific detoxification mechanism (sequestration) that would be more efficient in old individuals. Overall, the experimental results indicate that the use of G. tumidum as a bioindicator in monitoring programmes requires selecting individuals of a specific size range in order to obtain comparable information about ambient metal levels. Since the size effect is greatest among smaller individuals, it is recommended to select clams with a shell width greater than 35 mm.

Epidemic Escherichia coli clones have been recovered in marine sediment along the coast of Marche, an Adriatic region in central Italy. In the present study, E. coli strains from the clam Chamelea gallina, sampled from seven natural beds in the same area, were detected. Selected E. coli isolates from all sampling sites were screened for antimicrobial susceptibility, genetic diversity and correlation. The majority (60%) belonged to phylogroups A or B1, 31% to the other groups (B2, C, D, E, F), 8% to cryptic clades, and 1% were untypable. Moreover, 33.3% of isolates were resistant to at least one drug and 11% were multidrug resistant (MDR). The most common resistance was to tetracycline, ampicillin, and streptomycin. No clonality was detected, but the strains' high genetic heterogeneity pointed at multiple sources of microbiological contamination. MLST analysis found potentially pathogenic and even epidemic MDR strains in clams collected in class A (ST746 and ST46) and class B (ST393, ST58 and ST131) areas, indicating that strains of clinical origin are detectable in clams. These data highlight that eating raw or lightly cooked clams may pose a health risk if purification is not performed or is ineffective.

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots have a number of current applications in electronics and solar cells and significant future potential in medicine. The aim of the present study was to examine the toxic effects of CdS quantum dots on the marine clam Scrobicularia plana exposed for 14 d to these nanomaterials (10 µg Cd L(-1) ) in natural seawater and to compare them with soluble Cd. Measurement of labile Cd released from CdS quantum dots showed that 52% of CdS quantum dots remained in the nanoparticulate form. Clams accumulated the same levels of Cd regardless of the form in which it was delivered (soluble Cd vs CdS quantum dots). However, significant changes in biochemical responses were observed in clams exposed to CdS quantum dots compared with soluble Cd. Increased activities of catalase and glutathione-S-transferase were significantly higher in clams exposed in seawater to Cd as the nanoparticulate versus the soluble form, suggesting a specific nano effect. The behavior of S. plana in sediment showed impairments of foot movements only in the case of exposure to CdS quantum dots. The results show that oxidative stress and behavior biomarkers are sensitive predictors of CdS quantum dots toxicity in S. plana. Such responses, appearing well before changes might occur at the population level, demonstrate the usefulness of this model species and type of biomarker in the assessment of nanoparticle contamination in estuarine ecosystems.

The genetic diversity of the soft-shell clam Mya arenaria from seven locations in Europe (two stations in the southern Baltic Sea (the Gulf of Gdansk) and two in the North Sea (Veerse Meer and Oosterschelde), and three additional stations in the Denmark Straits and Bay of Biscay) was determined usin

Satellite NO2 column measurements indicate large NOx emissions from urban and agricultural sources in California. Comparison of regional model-simulated NO2 columns with satellite retrievals has proven useful in evaluating emission inventories for various sectors. We compare the NO2 columns from the WRF-Chem model with the multi-satellite data sets from different instruments and retrieval groups for a variety of California sources. Use of multiple satellite data sets help to define the uncertainties in the satellite retrievals. In addition, the CalNex 2010 intensive field campaign provides a unique opportunity to independently assess California's emission inventories. CU-AMAX-DOAS and in-situ airborne observations from CalNex 2010 and fine-resolution model simulations are used to estimate the accuracy of the satellite NO2 column retrievals over urban and agricultural areas. To understand differences in the retrievals, we will present sensitivity of satellite NO2 retrievals to a priori NO2 profiles that are produced from global models and the fine-resolution WRF-Chem model using state-of-the-art emission inventories.

Full Text Available A modelling system for assimilation of CO total columns measured by the IASI/MetOp was developed. The system, based on a sub-optimal Kalman filter coupled with the LMDz-INCA chemistry transport model, allows both assimilating long periods of historical data and making rapid forecasts of the CO concentrations in the middle troposphere based on latest available measurements. Tests of the forecast system were conducted during the international POLARCAT campaigns. A specific treatment that takes into account the representativeness of observations at the scale of the model grid is applied to the IASI CO columns and associated errors before their assimilation in the model. This paper presents the results of assimilation of eight months of historical satellite data measured in 2008. Comparisons of the assimilated CO profiles with independent in situ CO measurements from the MOZAIC program and the POLARCAT aircraft campaigns indicate that the assimilation leads to a considerable improvement of the model simulations in the middle troposphere as compared with a control run with no assimilation. Model biases in the simulation of background values are reduced and improvement in the simulation of very high concentrations is observed. The improvement is due to the transport by the model of the information present in the IASI CO retrievals. The consistency of the improvement contributes to the validation of the IASI CO data.

Based on the composite analysis method, 12 rainstorms triggered by Bay of Bengal storms(shortened as B-storms hereafter) across the whole province of Yunnan were studied, and some interesting results of rain and circulation characteristics influenced by the storms were obtained for low-latitude plateau.Usually, when a rainstorm weather occurs in low-latitude plateau, the B-storm center locates in the central,east or north parts of the Bay of Bengal. At the same time, the subtropical high ridge moves to 15°N - 20°Nand the west ridge point moves to the Indo-china Peninsula from the South China Sea and the low-latitude plateau is controlled by southwest air streams coming from the front of the trough and the periphery of the subtropical high. The southwest low-level jet stream from the east side of the bay storm has great effect on heavy rains. On the one hand, the southwest low-level jet stream is playing the role of transporting water vapor and energy. On the other hand, the southwest low-level jet stream is helpful to keep essential dynamical condition. From the analysis of the satellite cloud imagery, it is found that mesoscale convection cloud clusters will keep growing and moving into the low-latitude plateau to cause heavy rains when a storm forms in the Bay of Bengal.

Satellite RNAs and satellite viruses are extraviral components that can affect either the pathogenicity, the accumulation, or both of their associated viruses while themselves being dependent on the associated viruses as helper viruses for their infection. Most of these satellite RNAs are noncoding RNAs, and in many cases, have been shown to alter the interaction of their helper viruses with their hosts. In only a few cases have the functions of these satellite RNAs in such interactions been studied in detail. In particular, work on the satellite RNAs of Cucumber mosaic virus and Turnip crinkle virus have provided novel insights into RNAs functioning as noncoding RNAs. These effects are described and potential roles for satellite RNAs in the processes involved in symptom intensification or attenuation are discussed. In most cases, models describing these roles involve some aspect of RNA silencing or its suppression, either directly or indirectly involving the particular satellite RNA.

Pharmaceuticals are a class of emerging environmental contaminants that continuously enter aquatic environments. Presently, little information is available about the effects of these substances on non-target organisms, such as bivalves. We investigated the effects of ibuprofen (IBU) on the clam Ruditapes philippinarum. Clams were exposed for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days to 0, 100 and 1000 {mu}g IBU/L, and established biomarker responses (haemolymph lysozyme, gill acetylcholinesterase and digestive gland superoxide dismutase activities) as well as digestive gland transcriptome were evaluated. A two-way ANOVA revealed significant effects of both 'IBU concentration' and 'exposure duration' on biomarker responses. Overall, the enzyme activities were generally lower in IBU-exposed clams than in controls. Although limited knowledge of the mollusc transcriptome makes it difficult to interpret the effects of IBU on clams, the gene transcription analysis using DNA microarrays enabled the identification of the putative molecular mode of action of the IBU. The functional analysis of differentially transcribed genes suggests that IBU can interfere with various signalling pathways in clams, such as arachidonic acid metabolism, apoptosis, peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptors, and nuclear factor-kappa B. In addition, several genes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics (e.g., glutathione S-transferase, sulfotransferase, cytochrome P450) were also found to be significantly affected by IBU exposure. In summary, the integrated approach of gene transcription analysis and biomarker responses facilitated the elucidation of the putative mechanisms of action of IBU in non-target species.

Accumulation and distributions of aliphatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals were measured in tissues of the clam Ruditapes philippinarum collected from 5 sites in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, China. The concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbon and PAHs ranged from 570 to 2 574 ng/gdw (gram dry weight) and from 276 to 939 ng/gdw, in the most and least polluted sites, respectively. The bio-accumulation of hydrocarbons and PAHs in the clams appeared to be selective. Aliphatic hydrocarbons were predominantly represented by short chain (clams was probably related to the physiological and bio-kinetic processes that were energetically favorable for uptake of compounds with fewer rings. Accumulation of the metals Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Hg, and As in the clam tissues also showed high variability, ranging from 0.043 to 87μg/gdw. Among the 7 detected metals, Zn, Cd, Cu, and As had a particularly high potential of accumulation in R. philippinarum. In general, a positive correlation was found between the tissue concentrations and sediment concentrations of hydrocarbons and of some metals. Our study suggests that moderate contamination with polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and low to moderate contamination with metals, currently exists for clam R. philippinarum in Jiaozhou Bay, in comparison with other regional studies. A long-term monitoring program is certainly needed for assessment of the potential ecological influence and toxicity of these contaminants of R. philippinarum in Jiaozhou Bay.

Continuous measurements using in situ probes on consecutive orbits of the C/N0FS satellite reveal that the plasma density is persistently organized by longitude, in both day and night conditions and at all locations within the satellite orbit, defined by its perigee and apogee of 401 km and 867 km, respectively, and its inclination of 13 degrees. Typical variations are a factor of 2 or 3 compared to mean values. Furthermore, simultaneous observations of DC electric fields and their associated E x B drifts in the low latitude ionosphere also reveal that their amplitudes are also strongly organized by longitude in a similar fashion. The drift variations with longitude are particularly pronounced in the meridional component perpendicular to the magnetic field although they are also present in the zonal component as well. The longitudes of the peak meridional drift and density values are significantly out of phase with respect to each other. Time constants for the plasma accumulation at higher altitudes with respect to the vertical drift velocity must be taken into account in order to properly interpret the detailed comparisons of the phase relationship of the plasma density and plasma velocity variations. Although for a given period corresponding to that of several days, typically one longitude region dominates the structuring of the plasma density and plasma drift data, there is also evidence for variations organized about multiple longitudes at the same time. Statistical averages will be shown that suggest a tidal "wave 4" structuring is present in both the plasma drift and plasma density data. We interpret the apparent association of the modulation of the E x B drifts with longitude as well as that of the ambient plasma density as a manifestation of tidal forces at work in the low latitude upper atmosphere. The observations demonstrate how the high duty cycle of the C/NOFS observations and its unique orbit expose fundamental processes at work in the low latitude

Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is one of the most important benthic animals in the coastal north Pacific region, where clam populations have been mixed genetically through trade and aquaculture activities. Accordingly, identification of the genetically different clam populations has become one of the most important issues to manage interbreeding of the local and introduced clam populations. To identify genetically different populations of clam populations, we developed 11 expressed sequence tag (EST)-microsatellite loci (i.e., simple sequence repeat, SSR) from 1,128 clam hemocyte cDNA clones challenged by the protozoan parasite Perkinsus olseni. Genotype analysis using the markers developed in this study demonstrated that clams from a tidal flat on the west coast contained 6 to 19 alleles per locus, and a population from Jeju Island had 4 to 20 alleles per locus. The expected heterozygosity of the 2 clam populations ranged from 0.472 to 0.919 for clams from the west coast, and 0.494 to 0.919 for clams from Jeju Island, respectively. Among the 11 loci discovered in this study, 7 loci significantly deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. The 5 loci developed in this study also successfully amplified the SSRs of R. variegatus, a clam species taxonomically very close to R. philippinarum, from Hong Kong and Jeju Island. We believe that the 11 novel polymorphic SSR developed in this study can be utilized successfully in Manila clam genetic diversity analysis, as well as in genetic discrimination of different clam populations.

Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is one of the most important benthic animals in the coastal north Pacific region, where clam populations have been mixed genetically through trade and aquaculture activities. Accordingly, identification of the genetically different clam populations has become one of the most important issues to manage interbreeding of the local and introduced clam populations. To identify genetically different populations of clam populations, we developed 11 expressed sequence tag (EST)-microsatellite loci (i.e., simple sequence repeat, SSR) from 1,128 clam hemocyte cDNA clones challenged by the protozoan parasite Perkinsus olseni. Genotype analysis using the markers developed in this study demonstrated that clams from a tidal flat on the west coast contained 6 to 19 alleles per locus, and a population from Jeju Island had 4 to 20 alleles per locus. The expected heterozygosity of the 2 clam populations ranged from 0.472 to 0.919 for clams from the west coast, and 0.494 to 0.919 for clams from Jeju Island, respectively. Among the 11 loci discovered in this study, 7 loci significantly deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. The 5 loci developed in this study also successfully amplified the SSRs of R. variegatus, a clam species taxonomically very close to R. philippinarum, from Hong Kong and Jeju Island. We believe that the 11 novel polymorphic SSR developed in this study can be utilized successfully in Manila clam genetic diversity analysis, as well as in genetic discrimination of different clam populations.

As provided in Minute 319 of the U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty of 1944, a pulse flow of approximately 132 million cubic meters (mcm) was released to the riparian corridor of the Colorado River Delta over an eight-week period that began March 23, 2014 and ended May 18, 2014. Peak flows were released in the early part of the pulse to simulate a spring flood, with approximately 101.7 mcm released at Morelos Dam on the U.S.-Mexico border. The remainder of the pulse flow water was released to the riparian corridor via Mexicali Valley irrigation spillway canals, with 20.9 mcm released at Km 27 Spillway (41 km below Morelos Dam) and 9.3 mcm released at Km 18 Spillway (78 km below Morelos Dam). We used sequential satellite images, overflights, ground observations, water discharge measurements, and automated temperature, river stage and water quality loggers to document and describe the progression of pulse flow water through the study area. The rate of advance of the wetted front was slowed by infiltration and high channel roughness as the pulse flow crossed more than 40 km of dry channel which was disconnected from underlying groundwater and partially overgrown with salt cedar. High lag time and significant attenuation of flow resulted in a changing hydrograph as the pulse flow progressed to the downstream delivery points; two peak flows occurred in some lower reaches. The pulse flow advanced more than 120 km downstream from Morelos Dam to reach the Colorado River estuary at the northern end of the Gulf of California.

Centriolar satellites are small, microscopically visible granules that cluster around centrosomes. These structures, which contain numerous proteins directly involved in centrosome maintenance, ciliogenesis, and neurogenesis, have traditionally been viewed as vehicles for protein trafficking...... highlight newly discovered regulatory mechanisms targeting centriolar satellites and their functional status, and we discuss how defects in centriolar satellite components are intimately linked to a wide spectrum of human diseases....

The dynamical characteristics of the natural satellite of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are analyzed on the basis of the solar tidal perturbation factor and the oblateness factor of the primary planet for each satellite. For the inner satellites, for which the value of the solar tidal factor is much smaller than the planetary oblateness factor, it is shown that the eccentricity and inclination of satellite orbits are generally very small and almost constant; several pairs of inner satellites are also found to exhibit commensurable mean motions, or secular accelerations in mean longitude. In the case of the outer satellites, for which solar perturbations are dominant, secular perturbations and long-period perturbations may be derived by the solution of equations of motion reduced to one degree of freedom. The existence of a few satellites, termed intermediary satellites, for which the solar tidal perturbation is on the order of the planetary oblateness factor, is also observed, and the pole of the orbital plane of the satellite is noted to execute a complex motion around the pole of the planet or the orbital plane of the planet.

The numerical integration method has been routinely used to produce global standard gravitational models from satellite tracking measurements of CHAMP/GRACE types. It is implemented by solving the differential equations of the partial derivatives of a satellite orbit with respect to the unknown harmonic coefficients under the conditions of zero initial values. From the mathematical point of view, satellite gravimetry from satellite tracking is the problem of estimating unknown parameters in the Newton's nonlinear differential equations from satellite tracking measurements. We prove that zero initial values for the partial derivatives are incorrect mathematically and not permitted physically. The numerical integration method, as currently implemented and used in satellite gravimetry and statistics, is groundless. We use three different methods to derive new local solutions to the Newton's nonlinear governing differential equations of motion with a nominal reference orbit. Bearing in mind that satellite orbits ...

Including an introduction and historical overview of the field, this comprehensive synthesis of the major biophysical applications of satellite remote sensing includes in-depth discussion of satellite-sourced biophysical metrics such as leaf area index.

The length-weight relationship of the threatened freshwater clam, Galatea paradoxa (Born 1778) from the Volta Estuary, Ghana was studied over a two-year period, from March 2008 to February 2010, to aid in the development of stock assessment models for the sustainable management of the remaining clam stock. Data reported in this study were collected at monthly intervals and covered varying depths of the Estuary ranging from 0.5 to about 10 m. Overall, a total of 5276 clams with shell lengths ranging from 3.40 to 89.24 mm and total weight from 0.10 to 154.00 g were sampled during the study period. The length-weight relationships were highly significant (p < 0.0001) for all the months and the b-values ranged from 2.023 (January 2010) to 3.874 (June 2009). The calculated b-values indicated that clams exhibited different growth patterns at different periods but overall, the pooled samples of 5276 individuals exhibited an isometric growth pattern (b = 3.003). The observed monthly growth patterns exhibited by G. paradoxa appeared to be largely influenced by the reproductive cycle of the organism. During the periods leading to spawning, the clams generally exhibited positive allometric growth patterns (weight increasing faster than length) which appeared to be strongly linked to the build-up of proteins and carbohydrates in their tissues. Successive negative allometric growth patterns (length increasing faster relative to weight) were, however, observed from March to June 2008 and from December 2009 to February 2010, which are possibly indicative of the loss in tissue weight that occurs as a direct result of the spawning process. It will thus be suitable to institute a close season to coincide with the spawning period of the clams to avoid the harvesting of clams during the spawning period which will enhance future recruitment of the clam stock.

Full Text Available Recent melt events on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS accentuate the need to constrain estimates of sea level rise through improved characterization of meltwater pathways. This effort will require more precise estimates of the volume of water stored on the surface of the GrIS. We assessed the potential to obtain such information by mapping the bathymetry of supraglacial lakes and streams from WorldView2 (WV2 satellite images. Simultaneous {in situ} observations of depth and reflectance from two streams and a lake with measured depths up to 10.45 m were used to test a spectrally-based depth retrieval algorithm. We performed Optimal Band Ratio Analysis (OBRA of continuous field spectra and spectra convolved to the bands of the WV2, Landsat, MODIS, and ASTER sensors. The field spectra yielded a strong relationship with depth (R2 = 0.94, and OBRA R2 values were nearly as high (0.87–0.92 for convolved spectra, suggesting that these sensors' broader bands would be sufficient for depth retrieval. Our field measurements thus indicated that remote sensing of supraglacial bathymetry is not only feasible but potentially highly accurate. OBRA of spectra from 2 m-pixel WV2 images acquired within 3–72 h of our field observations produced an optimal R2 value of 0.92 and unbiased, precise depth estimates, with mean and root-mean square errors < 1% and 10–25% of the mean depth. Bathymetric maps produced by applying OBRA relations revealed subtle features of lake and channel morphology. In addition to providing refined storage volume estimates for lakes of various sizes, this approach can help provide estimates of the transient flux of meltwater through streams.

Global climate change (GCC) can negatively affect freshwater ecosystems. However, the degree to which freshwater populations can acclimate to long-term warming and the underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet fully understood. We used the cooling water discharge (CWD) area of a power plant as a model for long-term warming. Survival and molecular stress responses (expression of molecular chaperones, antioxidants, bioenergetic and protein synthesis biomarkers) to experimental warming (20–41 °C, +1.5 °C per day) were assessed in invasive clams Corbicula fluminea from two pristine populations and a CWD population. CWD clams had considerably higher (by ~8–12 °C) lethal temperature thresholds than clams from the pristine areas. High thermal tolerance of CWD clams was associated with overexpression of heat shock proteins HSP70, HSP90 and HSP60 and activation of protein synthesis at 38 °C. Heat shock response was prioritized over the oxidative stress response resulting in accumulation of oxidative lesions and ubiquitinated proteins during heat stress in CWD clams. Future studies should determine whether the increase in thermal tolerance in CWD clams are due to genetic adaptation and/or phenotypic plasticity. Overall, our findings indicate that C. fluminea has potential to survive and increase its invasive range during warming such as expected during GCC.

In this study a suppression subtractive hybridisation method was employed to identify differentially expressed genes of the clam Venerupis philippinarum exposed to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). Nineteen known transcripts and seven predicted proteins were found from the subtractive cDNA library of the clam, which could provide more sequence information for further study. Seven of the differentially expressed genes were selected for mRNA expression analysis. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of the selected cDNAs of clams was up-regulated to varying degrees by different concentration of BaP. They are suggested as potential molecular biomarkers for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution monitoring in aquatic ecosystems. In addition, haemocyte parameters were also measured, and a decrease of total haemocyte counts and suppression of antibacterial and bacteriolytic activities were detected in BaP-stressed clams. We suggest that the modulation of the expression of the selected genes caused by PAHs probably leads to the disturbance of the immune defense of the clam. Meanwhile, the adverse effects of PAHs on haemocyte parameters caused the suppression of the immune defense and susceptibility to infectious diseases. Therefore, it is inferred that PAHs pollutants could interact with components of the immune system and interferes with defense functions of the clam V. philippinarum.

Underground structures can affect their surrounding landscapes in different ways such as soil moisture content, soil composition and vegetation vigor. Vegetation vigor is often observed on the ground as a crop mark; a phenomenon which can be used as a proxy to denote the presence of underground and not visible structures. This paper presents the results obtained from field spectroradiometric campaigns at `buried' underground structures in Cyprus. A SVC-HR1024 field spectroradiometer was used and in-band reflectances were calculated for the Landsat 5 TM medium spatial resolution satellite sensor. A number of vegetation indices such as NDVI, SR and EVI were obtained while a `smart index' was developed aiming for detection of underground military structures by using existing vegetation indices or other in-band algorithms. In this study, test areas were identified, analyzed and modeled. The areas have been analyzed and tested in different scenarios, including: (a) the `natural state' of the underground structure (b) the different type of crop over the underground structure and imported soil (c) the different types of non-natural material over the underground structure. A reference target in the nearby area was selected as a baseline. Controllable meteorological and environmental parameters were acquired and monitored.

Full Text Available Rice is a primary staple food for the world population and there is a strong need to map its cultivation area and monitor its crop status on regional scales. This study was conducted in the Qixing Farm County of the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. First, the rice cultivation areas were identified by integrating the remote sensing (RS classification maps from three dates and the Geographic Information System (GIS data obtained from a local agency. Specifically, three FORMOSAT-2 (FS-2 images captured during the growing season in 2009 and a GIS topographic map were combined using a knowledge-based classification method. A highly accurate classification map (overall accuracy = 91.6% was generated based on this Multi-Data-Approach (MDA. Secondly, measured agronomic variables that include biomass, leaf area index (LAI, plant nitrogen (N concentration and plant N uptake were correlated with the date-specific FS-2 image spectra using stepwise multiple linear regression models. The best model validation results with a relative error (RE of 8.9% were found in the biomass regression model at the phenological stage of heading. The best index of agreement (IA value of 0.85 with an RE of 13.6% was found in the LAI model, also at the heading stage. For plant N uptake estimation, the most accurate model was again achieved at the heading stage with an RE of 11% and an IA value of 0.77; however, for plant N concentration estimation, the model performance was best at the booting stage. Finally, the regression models were applied to the identified rice areas to map the within-field variability of the four agronomic variables at different growth stages for the Qixing Farm County. The results provide detailed spatial information on the within-field variability on a regional scale, which is critical for effective field management in precision agriculture.

Aquaculture in saline-alkaline water has a major problem: microalgal blooming causes the pH of water to increase dramatically, thereby causing damage to the reared organisms. To solve this problem, we set out to find a candidate filter-feeding bivalve species suitable for saline-alkaline water to graze on microalgae and to control the pH. In the current study, we investigated the effect of carbonate alkalinity (CA, 2.5, 10.0, and 20.0 meq/L) and pH (8.0, 8.5, and 9.0) on the grazing capacity (GC) of the clam Cyclina sinensis. Additionally, the effect of clam size (small, medium, and large) and microalgae species ( Nannochloropsis oculata, Chaetoceros müelleri, and Isochrysis galbana), and the effect of bottom sediment characteristic (mud, sandy mud, and muddy sand) and thickness (3 and 6 cm) were analyzed as well. The results show that the GC on I. galbana was the highest and small size had the maximum GC/ W ( W: wet weight including body and shells). No significant differences were observed between sediment type and thickness. Regarding CA and pH, a significant decrease in GC by the pH or by their interaction was found. The GC of C. sinensis was not greatly reduced in the treatments of pH≤8.5 and CA≤20.0, and also not affected by bottom sediment type, indicating that this clam is capable to manage microalgal concentrations and might be a candidate species for pH reduction in saline-alkaline water ponds.

Aquaculture in saline-alkaline water has a major problem: microalgal blooming causes the pH of water to increase dramatically, thereby causing damage to the reared organisms. To solve this problem, we set out to find a candidate filter-feeding bivalve species suitable for saline-alkaline water to graze on microalgae and to control the pH. In the current study, we investigated the effect of carbonate alkalinity (CA, 2.5, 10.0, and 20.0 meq/L) and pH (8.0, 8.5, and 9.0) on the grazing capacity (GC) of the clam Cyclina sinensis. Additionally, the effect of clam size (small, medium, and large) and microalgae species (Nannochloropsis oculata, Chaetoceros müelleri, and Isochrysis galbana), and the effect of bottom sediment characteristic (mud, sandy mud, and muddy sand) and thickness (3 and 6 cm) were analyzed as well. The results show that the GC on I. galbana was the highest and small size had the maximum GC/W (W: wet weight including body and shells). No significant differences were observed between sediment type and thickness. Regarding CA and pH, a significant decrease in GC by the pH or by their interaction was found. The GC of C. sinensis was not greatly reduced in the treatments of pH≤8.5 and CA≤20.0, and also not affected by bottom sediment type, indicating that this clam is capable to manage microalgal concentrations and might be a candidate species for pH reduction in saline-alkaline water ponds.

Deformation in the material overlying an active reservoir is used to monitor pressure change at depth. A sequence of pressure field estimates, eleven in all, allow us to construct a measure of diffusive travel time throughout the reservoir. The dense distribution of travel time values means that we can construct an exactly linear inverse problem for reservoir flow properties. Application to Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data gathered over a CO{sub 2} injection in Algeria reveals pressure propagation along two northwest trending corridors. An inversion of the travel times indicates the existence of two northwest-trending high permeability zones. The high permeability features trend in the same direction as the regional fault and fracture zones. Model parameter resolution estimates indicate that the features are well resolved.

The relationships between the distribution and morphometric features of eruptive structures (scoria and spatter cones, maar, tuff rings) and the fracture network were investigated in the Pliocene-Quaternary Pali Aike Volcanic Field (southernmost Patagonia, Argentina-Chile). The alkali basaltic/basanitic magmas which erupted in this area have nearly primary magma compositions and often bear mantle xenoliths; hence magma ascent from deep-seated reservoirs was probably very fast, with no significant stagnation at crustal levels. Field surveys and satellite image analysis led to the identification of up to 467 eruptive structures and four main NW-SE, NE-SW, E-W and N-S fracture systems. The spatial distribution of eruptive cones and fractures was investigated through the computation of power-law exponents ( Df) for self-similar clustering. The self-similarity of cones and fractures was defined between lower and upper cut-offs which were in turn related to the thickness of the fractured mechanical layer. The fractal character of cones and fracture distribution (clustering) in the Pali Aike Volcanic Field area was thus correlated with crustal thickness. The self-similarity of fractures was used to establish the relative chronology of the detected fracture systems. The self-similar clustering exponent is highest in the E-W and NW-SE fracture systems ( Df=1.78 and 1.77, respectively), and lowest in the N-S system ( Df=1.65). The self-similar clustering of eruptive structures is well defined ( Df=1.45). The intense volcano-tectonic activity in the Pali Aike area marks a major Pliocene-Quaternary phase in the development of the Magellan Neogene Rift System.

Hydrologic modeling using high spatiotemporal resolution satellite precipitation products in the southwestern United States and northwest Mexico is important given the sparse nature of available rain gauges. In addition, the bimodal distribution of annual precipitation also presents a challenge as differential climate impacts during the winter and summer seasons are not currently well understood. In this work, we focus on hydrological comparisons using rainfall forcing from a satellite-based product, downscaled GCM precipitation estimates and available ground observations. The simulations are being conducted in the Santa Cruz and San Pedro river basins along the Arizona-Sonora border at high spatiotemporal resolutions (~100 m and ~1 hour). We use a distributed hydrologic model, known as the TIN-based Real-time Integrated Basin Simulator (tRIBS), to generate simulated hydrological fields under historical (1991-2000) and climate change (2031-2040) scenarios obtained from an application of the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. Using the distributed model, we transform the meteorological scenarios at 10-km, hourly resolution into predictions of the annual water budget, seasonal land surface fluxes and individual hydrographs of flood and recharge events. We compare the model outputs and rainfall fields of the WRF products against the forcing from the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) and available ground observations from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and Arizona Meteorological Network (AZMET). For this contribution, we selected two full years in the historical period and in the future scenario that represent wet and dry conditions for each decade. Given the size of the two basins, we rely on a high performance computing platform and a parallel domain discretization with higher resolutions maintained at experimental catchments in each river basin. Model simulations utilize best-available data across the Arizona-Sonora border on

China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel is selected as the candidate structural material in Fusion Design Study (FDS) series fusion reactor conceptual designs. The creep property of CLAM steel has been studied in this paper. Creep tests have been carried out at 823 K and 873 K over a stress range of 150-230 MPa. The creep curves showed three creep regimes, primary creep, steady-state creep and tertiary creep. The relationship between minimum creep rate (ε˙min) and the applied stress (σ) could be described by Norton power law, and the stress exponent n was decreased with the increase of the creep temperature. The creep mechanism was analyzed with the fractographes of the rupture specimens which were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The coarsening of precipitates observed with transmission electron microscope (TEM) indicated the microstructural degradation after creep test.

Russian forests are the largest vegetation carbon pool outside of the tropics, with larch dominating northeastern Siberia where extreme temperatures, permafrost and wildfire currently limit persistence of other tree species. These ecosystems have experienced rapid climate warming over the past century and model simulations suggest that they will undergo profound changes by the end of the century if warming continues. Understanding the responses of these unique deciduous-conifer ecosystems to current and future climate is important given the potential changes in disturbance regimes and other climate feedbacks. The climate implications of changes in fire severity and return interval, as predicted under a warmer and drier climate, are not well understood given the trade-off between storage of C in forest biomass and post-fire surface albedo. We examined forest biomass recovery across a burn chronosequence near Cherskii, Sakha Republic, in far northeastern Siberia. We used high-quality Landsat imagery to date and map fires that occurred between 1972 and 2009, then complemented this data set using tree ring measurements to map older fires. A three stage approach was taken to map current biomass distribution. First, tree shadows were mapped from 50 cm panchromatic WorldView 1 imagery covering a portion of the region. Secondly, the tree shadow map was aggregated to 30 m resolution and used to train a regression-tree model that ingested mosaiced Landsat data. The model output correlated with allometry-based field estimates of biomass, allowing us to transform the model output to a map of regional aboveground biomass using a regression model. When combined with the fire history data, the new biomass map revealed a chronosequence of forest regrowth and carbon sequestration in aboveground biomass after fire. We discuss the potential for future carbon emissions from fires in northeastern Siberia, as well as carbon sequestration during recovery based on the observed biomass

Full Text Available Here we give two examples of low-latitude plasma blobs accompanied by linearly polarized perpendicular magnetic deflections which imply that associated field-aligned currents (FACs have a 2-D sheet structure located at the blob walls. The estimated FAC density is of the order of 0.1 μA/m2. The direction of magnetic deflections points westward of the magnetic meridian and there is a linear correlation between perpendicular and parallel variations. All these properties are similar to those of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs. According to CHAMP observations from August 2000 to July 2004, blobs show except for these two good examples no clear signatures of 2-D FAC sheets at the walls. Generally, perpendicular magnetic deflections inside blobs are weaker than inside EPBs on average. Our results are consistent with existing theories: if a blob exists, (1 a significant part of EPB FAC will be closed through it, exhibiting similar perpendicular magnetic deflection inside EPBs and blobs, (2 the FAC closure through blobs leads to smaller perpendicular magnetic deflection at its poleward/downward side, and (3 superposition of different FAC elements might result in a complex magnetic signature around blobs.

Top-down control is an important force modulating the abundance of prey and structuring marine communities. The harvested trigonal clam Tivela mactroides is hypothesized to be part of the diet of a variety of marine organisms, with its stock influencing predator abundance and being influenced by them. Here we analyzed the diet of potential predators of T. mactroides in Caraguatatuba Bay, northern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil, to identify the main consumers of this marine resource, and also to address the importance of this clam in the diet of each predator. Samples were taken year-round by trawls; all specimens collected were identified and measured and the food items identified and quantified. Twenty-one species consumed T. mactroides, whose importance in the diet varied greatly in both the volume ingested and the frequency of occurrence (pompano Trachinotus carolinus > blue crab Callinectes danae > starfish Astropecten marginatus). Top-down influence on T. mactroides was also dependent on the abundance of consumers (yellow catfish Cathorops spixii > rake stardrum Stellifer rastrifer > barred grunt Conodon nobilis > A. marginatus). Considering the mean volume ingested, the frequency of occurrence of T. mactroides in the diet, and the relative abundance of consumers, the predators that most influenced T. mactroides were T. carolinus, A. marginatus, and C. danae, in decreasing order. Large numbers of small-sized individuals of T. mactroides (<10 mm) were generally preyed upon by A. marginatus, which may have a stronger effect on clam abundance in comparison to C. danae and T. carolinus, which preyed upon larger clams. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that predators' consumption of T. mactroides in Caraguatatuba Bay can influence its stocks, mainly due to the type and/or abundance of predator species, the volume and number of individuals of T. mactroides preyed upon, and the temporal variations in the abundance of predators.

Commercial production of most bivalve species involves a phase of intermediate cultivation during which juveniles are grown under protected conditions until they can be transferred to the final grow-out location. Consequently, the aim of this study was investigating the effect of density on growth and survival in the intermediate culture of the razor clam Ensis arcuatus in raft. Two series of experiments were performed, using in the first experiment two holding systems: 5-L plastic bottles an...

Waste materials from the clam processing industry (offal, shells) have several special characteristics such as a high salinity level, a high nitrogen content, and a low C/N ratio. The traditional disposal of clam waste through landfilling is facing the challenges of limited land available, increasing tipping fees, and strict environmental and regulatory scrutiny. The aim of this work is to investigate the performance of in-vessel composting as an alternative for landfill application of these materials. Experiments were performed in both laboratory-scale (5L) and pilot-scale (120L) reactors, with woodchips as the bulking agent. In the laboratory-scale composting test, the clam waste and woodchips were mixed in ratios from 1:0.5 to 1:3 (w/w, wet weight). The high ratios resulted in a better temperature performance, a higher electrical conductivity, and a higher ash content than the low-ratio composting. The C/N ratio of the composts was in the range of 9:1-18:1. In the pilot-scale composting test, a 1:1 ratio of clam waste to woodchips was used. The temperature profile during the composting process met the US Environmental Protection Agency sanitary requirement. The final cured compost had a C/N ratio of 14.6, with an ash content of 167.0+/-14.1g/kg dry matter. In addition to the major nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and sodium), the compost also contained trace amounts of zinc, manganese, copper, and boron, indicating that the material can be used as a good resource for plant nutrients.

Vesicomyid clams are conspicuous fauna at many deep-sea hydrothermal-vent and cold-seep habitats. All species examined have specialized gill tissue harboring endosymbiotic bacteria, which are thought to provide the hosts' sole nutritional support. In these species mechanisms of symbiont inheritance are likely to be key elements of dispersal strategies. These mechanisms have remained unresolved because the early life stages are not available for developmental studies. A specific 16S rRNA-directed oligodeoxynucleotide probe (CG1255R) for the vesocomyid endosymbionts was used in a combination of sensitive hybridization techniques to detect and localize the endosymbionts in host germ tissues. Symbiont-specific polymerase chain reaction amplifications, comparative gene sequencing, and restriction fragment length polymorphisms were used to detect and confirm the presence of symbiont target in tissue nucleic acid extracts. Nonradioactive in situ hybridizations were used to resolve the position of the bacterial endosymbionts in host cells. Symbiont 16S rRNA genes were consistently amplified from the ovarial tissue of three species of vesicomyid clams: Calyptogena magnifica, C. phaseoliformis, and C. pacifica. The nucleotide sequences of the genes amplified from ovaries were identical to those from the respective host symbionts. In situ hybridizations to CG1255R labeled with digoxigenin-11-dUTP were performed on ovarial tissue from each of the vesicomyid clams. Detection of hybrids localized the symbionts to follicle cells surrounding the primary oocytes. These results suggest that vesicomyid clams assure successful, host-specific inoculation of all progeny by using a transovarial mechanism of symbiont transmission.

Highlights: • With the increase of Ta content, the grain size decreased firstly, and then leveled off when Ta content was higher than 0.15 wt%. • The content of Ta-riched MX particles increased with Ta content increasing, and the Cr-riched M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides reversed. • CLAM steel with Ta content of 0.027 wt% had the highest strength, but the difference in strength of the four ingots was little. - Abstract: Four ingots of China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel with different Tantalum (Ta) contents of 0.027 wt%, 0.078 wt%, 0.15 wt% and 0.18 wt%, respectively, were produced by vacuum induction furnace. Microstructure observation and tensile tests were performed to make clear the effect of Ta content on the microstructure and properties of CLAM steel. Experimental results showed that the content of Ta-riched MX particles increased with Ta content increasing from 0.027 wt% to 0.18 wt%, and the Cr-riched M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides reversed. Meanwhile, the grain size became finer with the increase of Ta content. However, the effect of Ta content on grain size refinement weakened when Ta content was higher than 0.15 wt% in this study. Both the grain size and precipitates could affect the tensile properties of the four ingots. The precipitation strengthening of Cr-riched M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides was considered to be the main possible reason that CLAM steel with Ta content of 0.027 wt% had the highest strength. In general, there was little difference in strength of the four ingots with the change of Ta content.

The multiyear averaged surface current field and seasonal variability in the Kuroshio and adjacent regions are studied. The data used are trajectories and (1/4)° latitude by (1/4)° longitude mean currents derived from 323 Argos drifters deployed by Chi-nese institutions and world ocean circulation experiment from 1979 to 2003. The results show that the Kuroshio surface pathadapts well to the western boundary topography and exhibits six great turnings. The branching occurs frequently near anticyclon-ic turnings rather than near cyclonic ones. In the Luzon Strait, the surface water intrusion into the South China Sea occurs only in fall and winter. The Kuroshio surface path east of Taiwan, China appears nearly as straight lines in summer, fall, and win-ter, when anticyclonic eddies coexist on its right side; while the path may cyclonically turning in spring when no eddy exists. The Kuroshio intrusion northeast of Taiwan often occurs in fall and winter, but not in summer. The running direction, width and velocity of the middle segment of the Kuroshio surface currents in the East China Sea vary seasonally. The northward intrusion of the Kuroshio surface water southwest of Kyushu occurs in spring and fall, but not in summer. The northmost position of the Kuroshio surface path southwest of Kyushu occurs in fall, but never goes beyond 31 o N. The northward surface current east of the Ryukyu Islands exists only along Okinawa--Amami Islands from spring to fall. In particular, it appears as an ann of an anti-cyclonic eddy in fall.

The accuracy of the Earth's gravitational field measured from the gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE),up to 250 degrees,influenced by the radial gravity gradient Vzz and three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij from the satellite gravity gradiometry (SGG) are contrastively demonstrated based on the analytical error model and numerical simulation,respectively.Firstly,the new analytical error model of the cumulative geoid height,influenced by the radial gravity gradient Vzz and three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij are established,respectively.In 250 degrees,the GOCE cumulative geoid height error measured by the radial gravity gradient Vzz is about 21/2 times higher than that measured by the three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij. Secondly,the Earth's gravitational field from GOCE completely up to 250 degrees is recovered using the radial gravity gradient Vzz and three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij by numerical simulation,respectively.The study results show that when the measurement errorof the gravity gradient is 3 × 10-12/s2,the cumulative geoid height errors using the radial gravity gradient Vzz and three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij are 12.319 cm and 9.295 cm at 250 degrees,respectively.The accuracy of the cumulative geoid height using the three-dimensional gravity gradient Vij is improved by 30％-40％ on average compared with that using the radial gravity gradient Vzz in 250 degrees.Finally,by mutual verification of the analytical error model and numerical simulation,the orders of magnitude from the accuracies of the Earth's gravitational field recovery make no substantial differences based on the radial and three-dimensional gravity gradients,respectively.Therefore,it is feasible to develop in advance a radial cold-atom interferometric gradiometer with a measurement accuracy of 10-13/s2-10-15/s2 for precisely producing the next-generation GOCE Follow-On Earth gravity field model with a high spatial resolution.

ABSTRACT Temperature can modify membrane fluidity and thus affects cellular functions and physiological activities. This study examines lipid remodelling in the marine symbiotic organism, Tridacna maxima, during a time series of induced thermal stress, with an emphasis on the morphology of their symbiont Symbiodinium. First, we show that the French Polynesian giant clams harbour an important proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA), which reflects their tropical location. Second, in contrast to most marine organisms, the total lipid content in giant clams remained constant under stress, though some changes in their composition were shown. Third, the stress-induced changes in fatty acid (FA) diversity were accompanied by an upregulation of genes involved in lipids and ROS pathways. Finally, our microscopic analysis revealed that for the giant clam's symbiont, Symbiodinium, thermal stress led to two sequential cell death processes. Our data suggests that the degradation of Symbiodinium cells could provide an additional source of energy to T. maxima in response to heat stress. PMID:27543058

The main diarrhetic shellfish toxins, okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1, 2 (DTX-2, 2) were detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) as pyrenacyl esters in clams (Ruditapes decussatus) collected in Tunis north lagoon from January 2007 to June 2008. Sample analyses by LC-MS/MS displayed OA and related congeners (DTX-2, 2) with a highest detected level of 21 μg OA eq/kg shellfish meat for the samples of January 2007. Nevertheless, all samples were MBA negative. During the study period, potentially toxic dinoflagellate Dinophysis sacculus was recorded all year, blooming at different times. Highest concentrations were recorded during January 2007 with 4.6 × 10(4) cells per liter and 4.10(4) cells per liter in the northern and southern districts, respectively. Results show that there is no significant correlation between D. sacculus densities in water column and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins concentrations unregistered in clams. These data reveal that DSP toxicity in clams of Tunis north lagoon is low according to European regulatory limit (160 μg OA eq/kg shellfish meat). However, a potential threat, in this area, is represented by DSP toxic species as D. sacculus and provides grounds for widen and reinforcing sanitary control of the phycotoxin measures in the region.

To assess the toxicity of heavy metal pollution to marine intertidal shellfish,enzymatic responses and lipid peroxidation were investigated in the clam Mactra vereformis exposed to cadmium under laboratory conditions.Three antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase,SOD; catalase,CAT;glutathione peroxidase,GPx),two immune defense enzymes (acid phosphatase,ACP; alkaline phosphatase,ALP),and one lipid peroxidation product (malondialdehyde,MDA) were measured in the gills and the hepatopancreas of the clam exposed to 0,25,75,and 125 μg/L cadmium for 0,1,3,5,and 7 d.The results show that the concentrations of antioxidant enzymes in the organs soared to a peak value on the first day and then decreased afterwards in most cases.CAT and GPx activities in the hepatopancreas were higher than in the gills,but the SOD activity was lower in the bepatopancreas.ACP activity was unchanged until Day 3 in the hepatopancreas and until Day 5 in gills,when it began to increase.ALP activity showed no significant relationship with Cd treatment.MDA concentrations increased in the two tissues after Cd exposure,peaked on Day 3 in gills,and on Day 5 in hepatopancreas.These observations show that changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes and ACP reflect the time course of oxidative stress in the clam caused by Cd,and could be used as potential biomarkers for ecotoxicological bioassays of heavy metals.

Full Text Available Abstract This study aimed to model the habitat suitability for an invasive clam Corbicula fluminea in a coastal shallow lagoon in the southern Neotropical region (–30.22, –50.55. The lagoon (19km2, maximum deep 2.5m was sampled with an Ekman dredge in an orthogonal matrix comprising 84 points. At each sampling point, were obtained environmental descriptors as depth, organic matter content (OMC, average granulometry (Avgran, and the percentage of sand (Pcsand. Prediction performance of Generalized Linear Models (GLM, Generalized Additive Models (GAM and Boosted Regression Tree (BRT were compared. Also, niche overlapping with other native clam species (Castalia martensi, Neocorbicula limosa and Anodontites trapesialis was examined. A BRT model with 1400 trees was selected as the best model, with cross-validated correlation of 0.82. The relative contributions of predictors were Pcsand-42.6%, OMC-35.8%, Avgran-10.9% and Depth-10.8%. Were identified that C. fluminea occur mainly in sandy sediments with few organic matter, in shallow areas nor by the shore. The PCA showed a wide niche overlap with the native clam species C. martensi, N. limosa and A. trapesialis.

Given their global importance, coastal marine environments are a major focus of concern regarding the potential impacts of climate change, namely due to alterations in seawater salinity. It is known that environmental characteristics, such as salinity, affect immune and physiological parameters of bivalves. Nevertheless, scarce information is available concerning the biochemical alterations associated with salinity changes. For this reason, the present work aimed to evaluate the biochemical responses of three venerid clam species (Venerupis decussata, Venerupis corrugata, Venerupis philippinarum) submitted to salinity changes. The effects on the native (V. decussata and V. corrugata) and invasive (V. philippinarum) species collected from the same sampling site and submitted to the same salinity gradient (0 to 42g/L) were compared. The results obtained demonstrated that V. corrugata is the most sensitive species to salinity changes and V. decussata is the species that can tolerate a wider range of salinities. Furthermore, our work showed that clams under salinity associated stress can alter their biochemical mechanisms, such as increasing their antioxidant defenses, to cope with the higher oxidative stress resulting from hypo and hypersaline conditions. Among the physiological and biochemical parameters analyzed (glycogen and protein content; lipid peroxidation levels, antioxidant enzymes activity; total, reduced and oxidized glutathione) Catalase (CAT) and especially superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed to be useful biomarkers to assess salinity impacts in clams.

A Plasma Surface Interaction(PSI)experiment on China Low Activation Martensitic(CLAM)steel was done to check if CLAM steel could be used as a Plasma Facing Material (PFM).A specimen with a diameter of 45 mm was exposed to 897 shots of deuterium plasmas with a total duration of 712 sec at a minor radius of 30 cm in HT-7 tokamak.During the exposure experiment,no observable influence Was found on plasma performance.After exposure,the surface of the specimen seemed as smooth as before but with some colour change at the margin of the specimen.Even though some micro-damage,such as dense blisters,melting,splashing,depositions,and dust,Was found on local surfaces with Scanning Electron Microscopic(SEM)observation.The reflectivity of the specimen decreased only slightly.All of these shows CLAM steel has good stability and irradiation resistance.With further optimization,it could possibly be used as the first mirror material for plasma diagnostics in tokamaks.

In order to determine whether growth performance could be improved by hybridizing full-sib families of Manila clam ( Ruditapes philippinarum), crosses between two full-sib families including self and reciprocal crosses were carried out. The effects of heterosis, combining ability and interaction on the growth of shell length were estimated. The results showed that the growth of hybrid larvae was intermediate between parents on days 6 and 9. Heterosis on shell length was observed, which varied at juvenile stage. The cross of ♂A × ♀B ( Hp varied between 10.41% and 68.27%) displayed larger heterosis than ♂B × ♀A ( Hp varied between 1.89% and 32.33%) did, suggesting that ♂A × ♀B was an ideal hatchery method of improving the growth performance of Manila clam. The variances of general combining ability (GCA), special combining ability (SCA) and interaction (I) were significant in shell length (P larvae and juveniles. The GCA for shell length of ♂A × ♀B was higher than that of ♂B × ♀A at both larval and juvenile stages. This confirmed that the cross between ♂A and ♀B showed great growth in shell length. In summary, the growth of Manila clam seeds could be improved by hybridizing selected parents from large numbers of full-sib families.

Full Text Available Temperature can modify membrane fluidity and thus affects cellular functions and physiological activities. This study examines lipid remodelling in the marine symbiotic organism, Tridacna maxima, during a time series of induced thermal stress, with an emphasis on the morphology of their symbiont Symbiodinium. First, we show that the French Polynesian giant clams harbour an important proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA, which reflects their tropical location. Second, in contrast to most marine organisms, the total lipid content in giant clams remained constant under stress, though some changes in their composition were shown. Third, the stress-induced changes in fatty acid (FA diversity were accompanied by an upregulation of genes involved in lipids and ROS pathways. Finally, our microscopic analysis revealed that for the giant clam's symbiont, Symbiodinium, thermal stress led to two sequential cell death processes. Our data suggests that the degradation of Symbiodinium cells could provide an additional source of energy to T. maxima in response to heat stress.

In order to investigate the influence of thermal aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of CLAM (China low activation martensitic) steel, a comparison study was made on the as-tempered and the aged steels. The tempered CLAM steels were subjected to aging treatment at 600 °C for 1100 h and 3000 h, and at 650 °C for 1100 h, respectively. The changes of microstructure were characterized by both transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The mechanical properties were evaluated by Charpy impact, tensile and Vickers hardness tests. The upper shelf energy (USE) of the thermal aged CLAM steel decreased with the extension of aging time, while the yield strength changed slightly. After long-term thermal aging, the MX type precipitates remained stable. The coarsening of M{sub 23}C{sub 6} and the formation of Laves phase were confirmed by scanning/transmission electron microscopes. The Laves phase was the main factor leading to the increase of DBTT.

In order to investigate the influence of thermal aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of CLAM (China low activation martensitic) steel, a comparison study was made on the as-tempered and the aged steels. The tempered CLAM steels were subjected to aging treatment at 600 °C for 1100 h and 3000 h, and at 650 °C for 1100 h, respectively. The changes of microstructure were characterized by both transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The mechanical properties were evaluated by Charpy impact, tensile and Vickers hardness tests. The upper shelf energy (USE) of the thermal aged CLAM steel decreased with the extension of aging time, while the yield strength changed slightly. After long-term thermal aging, the MX type precipitates remained stable. The coarsening of M23C6 and the formation of Laves phase were confirmed by scanning/transmission electron microscopes. The Laves phase was the main factor leading to the increase of DBTT.

In its most general sense, any celestial object in orbit around a similar larger object. Thus, for example, the Magellanic Clouds are satellite galaxies of our own Milky Way galaxy. Without qualification, the term is used to mean a body in orbit around a planet; an alternative term is moon. The term natural satellite distinguishes these bodies from artificial satellites—spacecraft placed in orbi...

Global climate change and ocean acidification pose a serious threat to marine life. Marine invertebrates are particularly susceptible to ocean acidification, especially highly calcareous taxa such as molluscs, echinoderms and corals. The largest of all bivalve molluscs, giant clams, are already threatened by a variety of local pressures, including overharvesting, and are in decline worldwide. Several giant clam species are listed as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and now climate change and ocean acidification pose an additional threat to their conservation. Unlike most other molluscs, giant clams are 'solar-powered' animals containing photosynthetic algal symbionts suggesting that light could influence the effects of ocean acidification on these vulnerable animals. In this study, juvenile fluted giant clams Tridacna squamosa were exposed to three levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (control ~400, mid ~650 and high ~950 μatm) and light (photosynthetically active radiation 35, 65 and 304 μmol photons m-2 s-1). Elevated CO2 projected for the end of this century (~650 and ~950 μatm) reduced giant clam survival and growth at mid-light levels. However, effects of CO2 on survival were absent at high-light, with 100% survival across all CO2 levels. Effects of CO2 on growth of surviving clams were lessened, but not removed, at high-light levels. Shell growth and total animal mass gain were still reduced at high-CO2. This study demonstrates the potential for light to alleviate effects of ocean acidification on survival and growth in a threatened calcareous marine invertebrate. Managing water quality (e.g. turbidity and sedimentation) in coastal areas to maintain water clarity may help ameliorate some negative effects of ocean acidification on giant clams and potentially other solar-powered calcifiers, such as hard corals.

Full Text Available Global climate change and ocean acidification pose a serious threat to marine life. Marine invertebrates are particularly susceptible to ocean acidification, especially highly calcareous taxa such as molluscs, echinoderms and corals. The largest of all bivalve molluscs, giant clams, are already threatened by a variety of local pressures, including overharvesting, and are in decline worldwide. Several giant clam species are listed as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and now climate change and ocean acidification pose an additional threat to their conservation. Unlike most other molluscs, giant clams are 'solar-powered' animals containing photosynthetic algal symbionts suggesting that light could influence the effects of ocean acidification on these vulnerable animals. In this study, juvenile fluted giant clams Tridacna squamosa were exposed to three levels of carbon dioxide (CO2 (control ~400, mid ~650 and high ~950 μatm and light (photosynthetically active radiation 35, 65 and 304 μmol photons m-2 s-1. Elevated CO2 projected for the end of this century (~650 and ~950 μatm reduced giant clam survival and growth at mid-light levels. However, effects of CO2 on survival were absent at high-light, with 100% survival across all CO2 levels. Effects of CO2 on growth of surviving clams were lessened, but not removed, at high-light levels. Shell growth and total animal mass gain were still reduced at high-CO2. This study demonstrates the potential for light to alleviate effects of ocean acidification on survival and growth in a threatened calcareous marine invertebrate. Managing water quality (e.g. turbidity and sedimentation in coastal areas to maintain water clarity may help ameliorate some negative effects of ocean acidification on giant clams and potentially other solar-powered calcifiers, such as hard corals.

The green mussel Perna viridis and the clam Ruditapes philippinarum have been frequently used as biomonitors of coastal contamination in subtropical and tropical waters, yet the physiological processes controlling metal uptake in these bivalves are unknown. Assimilation efficiency (AE) is an important physiological parameter quantifying metal bioavailability from ingested food. The authors determined the AEs of Cd, CR, and Zn in these bivalves feeding on five species of phytoplankton and one natural section. The influences of the cytoplasmic distribution of metals in the algal cells and the digestive physiology of bivalves on metal AEs were also examined. Among the three metals, Zn was generally assimilated at the highest efficiency, i.e., 21 to 36% in the mussels and 29 to 59% in the clams. Cr was the least assimilated metal, with AEs being 10 to 16% in the mussels and 11 to 24% in the clams. The AEs of Cd and Zn in the clams were 1.8 to 4.7 and 1.1 to 1.9 times higher, respectively, than the AEs in the mussels. Assimilation efficiencies of Cr were, however, comparable between the mussels and the clams. A positive significant relationship between the metal AE and the percent of metals in the algal cytoplasm was found only for Cd in the clams, suggesting that Cd fractionation in the algal cells influenced its assimilation. No significant relationship, however, was found for other metals in both bivalves. A significant relationship between Cr-assimilation efficiency and gut passage time (GPT) was documented in the mussels, indicating a higher assimilation when Cr was retained longer in the gut. There was also significant correlation of metal AEs among the three metals, which were probably subjected to the same digestive pathway in the bivalves. Their study demonstrated that both the green mussels and the clams were able to accumulate metals from ingested food source, and food quality appeared to have different effects on metal assimilation in different bivalve

This article focuses on the economic valuation of alternative clam management practices in the Venice Lagoon. The proposed valuation method is characterized by the design of a survey questionnaire applied to the fishermen population. In each questionnaire, two fishing alternatives are described. The respondent is asked to choose one of them. This valuation method, referred in the article as conjoint valuation, gives sufficient flexibility to set, alter, and combine the valuation of different clam management practices. Furthermore, this approach presents an important advantage to the well-known contingent valuation method since it makes the monetary valuation of each management attribute possible. Estimation results show that all three attributes used in the questionnaire to describe and value different clam management practices—price of the annual permit and fishing technological system—are statistically robust, indicating that fishermen bear a utility change whenever these attributes change. In particular, fishermen's willingness to pay for a larger clam fishing area ranges between 568 and 811 € per year. In addition, an individual's willingness to pay for a fishing practice exclusively based on the vibrant rake system ranges between 1005 and 2456 €. Finally, the adoption of a clam fish management practice in the Venice Lagoon that is exclusively based on the use of manual rakes, which is associated with the lowest damage to the lagoon ecosystem, will represent a welfare loss of 5904 € per fisherman per year. Combining such a value estimate with the total number of fishermen currently operating in the Lagoon of Venice, the welfare loss associated with the adoption of this type of clam management policy amounts to 11.8 € million per year. This figure can be regarded as an upper bound to the cost of implementation of a clam fishing system anchored in the use of manual, ecosystem friendly rakes.

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE, UP-TO-DATE GUIDE ON GPS TECHNOLOGY FOR SURVEYING Three previous editions have established GPS Satellite Surveying as the definitive industry reference. Now fully updated and expanded to reflect the newest developments in the field, this Fourth Edition features cutting-edge information on GNSS antennas, precise point positioning, real-time relative positioning, lattice reduction, and much more. Expert authors examine additional tools and applications, offering complete coverage of geodetic surveying using satellite technologies. The past decade has seen a major evolut

temperature, net radiation flux, soil heat flux, sensible heat flux and latent heat flux in the TPEP are compared to satellite derived values. The results show that the derived surface variables, land surface heat fluxes and ET over the study area are in good accordance with the land surface status. These parameters show a wide range due to the strong contrast of surface features. And the estimated land surface variables and land surface heat fluxes are in good agreement with ground measurements, and all their absolute percent difference is less than 10% in the validation sites. It is therefore concluded that the proposed methods are successful for the retrieval of land surface variables and land surface heat fluxes over heterogeneous landscape of the Tibetan Plateau area. Further improvement of the methods and its applying field were also discussed.

Geostationary Satellites Collocation aims to find solutions for deploying a safe and reliable collocation control. Focusing on the orbital perturbation analysis, the mathematical foundations for orbit and control of the geostationary satellite are summarized. The mathematical and physical principle of orbital maneuver and collocation strategies for multi geostationary satellites sharing with the same dead band is also stressed. Moreover, the book presents some applications using the above algorithms and mathematical models to help readers master the corrective method for planning station keeping maneuvers. Engineers and scientists in the fields of aerospace technology and space science can benefit from this book. Hengnian Li is the Deputy Director of State Key Laboratory of Astronautic Dynamics, China.

Full Text Available Hemagglutinating proteins (HAPs were purified from Poker-chip Venus (Meretrix lusoria and Corbicula clam (Corbicula fluminea using gel-filtration chromatography on a Sephacryl S-300 column. The molecular weights of the HAPs obtained from Poker-chip Venus and Corbicula clam were 358 kDa and 380 kDa, respectively. Purified HAP from Poker-chip Venus yielded two subunits with molecular weights of 26 kDa and 29 kDa. However, only one HAP subunit was purified from Corbicula clam, and its molecular weight was 32 kDa. The two Poker-chip Venus HAPs possessed hemagglutinating ability (HAA for erythrocytes of some vertebrate animal species, especially tilapia. Moreover, HAA of the HAP purified from Poker-chip Venus was higher than that of the HAP of Corbicula clam. Furthermore, Poker-chip Venus HAPs possessed better HAA at a pH higher than 7.0. When the temperature was at 4°C–10°C or the salinity was less than 0.5‰, the two Poker-chip Venus HAPs possessed better HAA compared with that of Corbicula clam.

Highlights: • Dissimilar joints between CLAM and 316L steels welded by TIG were investigated. • After PWHTs, the hardening in HAZ on the CLAM steel side decreased remarkably. • Tempering at 740 °C for 2 h was considered as the preferable treatment rule. - Abstract: Dissimilar welding between China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel and 316L austenitic stainless steel was investigated to achieve the reliable connection between test blanket modules (TBMs) and piping system in the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER). The dissimilar joints were welded by tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding process with a filler material type-309. In order to stabilize the microstructure and improve the strength and toughness, post-weld heat treatments (PWHTs) of tempering at 740 °C, 780 °C and 820 °C, respectively, for 2 h were performed. The microstructure observation showed that tempering at 740 °C for 2 h was the preferable PWHT rule in this work. After the treatment, the hardening in heat affected zone (HAZ) on the CLAM steel side decreased remarkably. The tensile strength of the joint was roughly the same as that of the base metal. The impact toughness of HAZ on the CLAM steel side was 77% of that of the base metal. The absorbed energy of HAZ of 316L steel decreased by 93 J, and that of weld metal (WM) was 110 J after the treatment.

Freshwater prawns, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, and clams, Corbicula Fluminea, were exposed for 48 or 50 days to three concentrations of a river sediment that contained environmental contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and metals. The PCB sediment bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for prawns ranged from 0.11 to 0.90 for 1242 and 0.20 to 2.40 for 1254, and were highest for animals exposed to 10% sediment. Exposed clams also accumulated PCBs (1242 + 1254) from the sediment. Sediment BAFs for clams were 0.54 to 12.52 and were highest for animals exposed to 10% sediment. Analyses of clams for metals showed lead (Pb) in exposed animals at higher concentrations compared with controls. Bioaccumulation of Pb differed from PCB in that the Pb concentrations did not increase over time and concentrations were higher among animals exposed to 10% sediment compared to animals exposed to 100% sediment. Sediment 11-80 contained 99 mg/kg of Pb while exposed animals, at 48 days, contained approximately 2.2 mg/kg Pb. Analysis of clams for cadmium (Cd) showed exposed animals contained less Cd than controls.

Full Text Available The filtration and respiration rates of various size classes (35-39.99, 40-44.99,45-49.99, 50-54.99 and 55-59.99 mm of the short-necked clam Paphia undulata were measured in the laboratory. The effects of three light regimes (0 lux, 172.22 lux and 645.83 lux, three microalgal species (Isochrysis galbana, Tetraselmis tetrahele and Chaetoceros calcitrans and four microalgal concentrations (10, 25, 50 and 100 x 104 cells ml-1 on filtration rates were investigated. Mean filtration rate was highest (0.57 ± 0.04 Lh-1ind.-1 under total darkness. This can be attributed to the natural environment of this species which is characterized by silty substrate and low visibility. Filtration was also highest in the microalga Isochrysis galbana (0.67 ± 0.05. Rates initially increased from low to moderate microalgal concentrations (25 x 104 cells ml-1 and decreased at higher concentrations. Filtration generally decreased with increase in clam size. Light intensity, microalgal species and microalgal concentration showed significant effects on filtration. Respiration of fed clams was higher (0.138 ± 0.026 ml O2h-1ind.-1 than unfed clams (0.053± 0.025 ml O2h-1 nd.-1 and increased with clam size.

We analyzed Sentinel-1A (S1A)/IW satellite descending data from multiple acquisitions to map coseismic and post-seismic deformation fields and invert the fault slip and afterslip models associated with the seismic moment magnitude (Mw)8.3 earthquake that occurred at Illapel, Chile, on September 16th, 2015. We generated one coseismic and four post-seismic interferograms to analyze temporal and spatial variations in the deformation field after the mainshock; we found that the coseismic deformation field has a semicircular shape and covers a 300-km long and 190-km wide area. The maximum displacement reaches ca. 1.33 m in the LOS subsidence direction, while post-seismic deformation derived from four interferograms with different time intervals is mainly distributed within a long narrow area approximately 65 km wide. Maximum displacement is ca. 8 cm, including two regions of line of sight (LOS) uplift and sinking. Major regions of deformation exhibit opposite directions to the mainshock just after the event, before reverting to consistency. We inverted the coseismic fault slip and afterslip models based on a shallow-dip single fault plane in a homogeneous elastic half space. Our inversion suggests that coseismic slip is mainly concentrated in a shallow region to the northwest of the source, and that rupture length along strike is close to 340 km, with a maximum slip of about 8.16 m to the trench. The estimated moment is 3.126 × 1021 N m (Mw8.27), and the maximum rupture depth is 50 km. Inverted residual slip also shows just one region of slip in the shallow subsurface, which is shifted slightly to the south. In the early stage of deformation, the residual is along the down-dip direction, with a maximum value of ca. 32 cm, before turning into the up-dip direction, with a maximum value of ca. 23 cm. Finally, we present a preliminary analysis of these complex changes in space and time.

Full Text Available Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is one of the most important economic species in shellfishery in China due to its wide geographic distribution and high tolerance to environmental changes (e.g., salinity, temperature. In addition, Manila clam is a good biomonitor/bioindicator in “Mussel Watch Programs” and marine environmental toxicology. However, there are several pedigrees of R. philippinarum distributed in the marine environment in China. No attention has been paid to the biological differences between various pedigrees of Manila clams, which may introduce undesirable biological variation in toxicology studies. In this study, we applied NMR-based metabolomics to detect the biological differences in two main pedigrees (White and Zebra of R. philippinarum and their differential responses to heavy metal exposures (Cadmium and Zinc using adductor muscle as a target tissue to define one sensitive pedigree of R. philippinarum as biomonitor for heavy metals. Our results indicated that there were significant metabolic differences in adductor muscle tissues between White and Zebra clams, including higher levels of alanine, glutamine, hypotaurine, phosphocholine and homarine in White clam muscles and higher levels of branched chain amino acids (valine, leucine and isoleucine, succinate and 4-aminobutyrate in Zebra clam muscles, respectively. Differential metabolic responses to heavy metals between White and Zebra clams were also found. Overall, we concluded that White pedigree of clam could be a preferable bioindicator/biomonitor in marine toxicology studies and for marine heavy metals based on the relatively high sensitivity to heavy metals.

Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is one of the most important economic species in shellfishery in China due to its wide geographic distribution and high tolerance to environmental changes (e.g., salinity, temperature). In addition, Manila clam is a good biomonitor/bioindicator in "Mussel Watch Programs" and marine environmental toxicology. However, there are several pedigrees of R. philippinarum distributed in the marine environment in China. No attention has been paid to the biological differences between various pedigrees of Manila clams, which may introduce undesirable biological variation in toxicology studies. In this study, we applied NMR-based metabolomics to detect the biological differences in two main pedigrees (White and Zebra) of R. philippinarum and their differential responses to heavy metal exposures (Cadmium and Zinc) using adductor muscle as a target tissue to define one sensitive pedigree of R. philippinarum as biomonitor for heavy metals. Our results indicated that there were significant metabolic differences in adductor muscle tissues between White and Zebra clams, including higher levels of alanine, glutamine, hypotaurine, phosphocholine and homarine in White clam muscles and higher levels of branched chain amino acids (valine, leucine and isoleucine), succinate and 4-aminobutyrate in Zebra clam muscles, respectively. Differential metabolic responses to heavy metals between White and Zebra clams were also found. Overall, we concluded that White pedigree of clam could be a preferable bioindicator/biomonitor in marine toxicology studies and for marine heavy metals based on the relatively high sensitivity to heavy metals.

The mitochondrial genomes of bivalves have often been used for comparative genomics and for resolving phylogenetic relationships. More than 100 bivalve complete mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced to date. However, few mitochondrial genomes have been reported for deep-sea chemosymbiotic bivalves, which belong to the subclasses Pteriomorphia and Heterodonta. In the present study, we sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of eight deep-sea chemosymbiotic bivalve species: three species of Bathymodiolus mussels (B. japonicus, B. platifrons, and B. septemdierum), four species of vesicomyid clams (Abyssogena mariana, A. phaseoliformis, Isorropodon fossajaponicum, and Phreagena okutanii, all of which were formerly classified in the genus Calyptogena), and one species of thyasirid clam (Conchocele cf. bisecta). With a few exceptions, these mitochondrial genomes contained genes that are typical of metazoans: 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes. The major non-coding region with a high A+T content of each genome, which contained tandem repeats and hairpins, was hypothesized to function as a control region. The phylogenetic trees of Pteriomorphia and Heterodonta were reconstructed based on the concatenated sequences of 14 shared genes. Bathymodiolus formed a monophyletic clade with asymbiotic Mytilidae mussels, the vesicomyid clams formed a monophyly that was sister to the Veneridae, and C. cf. bisecta branched basally in the Heterodonta. It is known that the gene orders of mitochondrial genomes vary among bivalves. To examine whether gene order variation exhibits phylogenetic signals, tree topologies based on the minimum number of gene rearrangements were reconstructed for two clades (superfamily Tellinoidea, which includes the Psammobiidae, Semelidae, Solecurtidae, and Tellinidae; and the clade comprising the Myidae, Mactridae, Arcticidae, Vesicomyidae, and Veneridae) with high statistical support in sequence-based phylogenies. The resulting tree

followed Hale’s into orbit. In 1879, Jules Verne wrote about launching small satellites with a gun possessing a muzzle velocity of 10 000 m/sec (ref. 3...was activated in 1950.11 It was located only a few tens of miles from the spot where Jules Verne had his Baltimore Gun Club fire a manned projectile to...principle, satellites can be launched by a single impulse applied at the Earth’s surface-say, with a large cannon, & la Jules Verne (sec. 8-3). In

Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) diffusion bonding with CLAM steel is the primary candidate fabrication technique for the first wall (FW) of DFLL-TBM. Surface state is one of the key factors for the joints quality. The effect of surface state prepared with grinder and miller on HIP diffusion bonding joints of CLAM steel was investigated. HIP diffusion bonding was performed at 140 MPa and 1373 K within 3 h. The mechanical properties of the joints were investigated with instrumented Charpy V-notch impact tests and the microstructures of the joints were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the milled samples with fine surface roughness were more suitable for CLAM steel HIP diffusion bonding.

Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) diffusion bonding with CLAM steel is the primary candidate fabrication technique for the first wall (FW) of DFLL-TBM. Surface state is one of the key factors for the joints quality. The effect of surface state prepared with grinder and miller on HIP diffusion bonding joints of CLAM steel was investigated. HIP diffusion bonding was performed at 140 MPa and 1373 K within 3 h. The mechanical properties of the joints were investigated with instrumented Charpy V-notch impact tests and the microstructures of the joints were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the milled samples with fine surface roughness were more suitable for CLAM steel HIP diffusion bonding.

Rock-walled archaeological features are notoriously hard to date, largely because of the absence of suitable organic material for radiocarbon dating. This study demonstrates the efficacy of dating clam garden wall construction using optical dating, and uses optical ages to determine how sedimentation rates in the intertidal zone are affected by clam garden construction. Clam gardens are rock-walled, intertidal terraces that were constructed and maintained by coastal First Nation peoples to increase bivalve habitat and productivity. These features are evidence of ancient shellfish mariculture on the Pacific Northwest and, based on radiocarbon dating, date to at least the late Holocene. Optical dating exploits the luminescence signals of quartz or feldspar minerals to determine the last time the minerals were exposed to sunlight (i.e., their burial age), and thus does not require the presence of organic material. Optical ages were obtained from three clam garden sites on northern Quadra Island, British Columbia, and their reliability was assessed by comparing them to radiocarbon ages derived from shells underneath the clam garden walls, as well as below the terrace sediments. Our optical and radiocarbon ages suggest that construction of these clam garden walls commenced between ~1000 and ~1700 years ago, and our optical ages suggest that construction of the walls was likely incremental and increased sedimentation rates in the intertidal zone by up to fourfold. Results of this study show that when site characteristics are not amenable to radiocarbon dating, optical dating may be the only viable geochronometer. Furthermore, dating rock-walled marine management features and their geomorphic impact can lead to significant advances in our understanding of the intimate relationships that Indigenous peoples worldwide developed with their seascapes. PMID:28182645

Stranding combined with mass-mortality events of sandy-beach organisms is a frequent but little-understood phenomenon, which is generally studied based on discrete episodes. The frequency, magnitude, and possible causes of stranding and mass-mortality events of the trigonal clam Tivela mactroides were assessed based on censuses of stranded individuals, every four days from September 2007 through December 2008, in Caraguatatuba Bay, southeastern Brazil. Stranded clams were classified as dying (closed valves did not open when forced) or dead (closed valves were easily opened). Information on wave parameters and the living intertidal clam population was used to assess possible causes of stranding. This fine-scale monitoring showed that stranding occurred widely along the shore and year-round, with peaks interspersed with periods of low or no mortality. Dead clams showed higher mean density than dying individuals, but a lower mean shell length, attributed to a higher tolerance to desiccation of larger individuals. Wave height had a significant negative relationship to the density of dying individuals, presumed to be due to the accretive nature of low-energy waves: when digging out, clams would be more prone to be carried upward and unable to return; while larger waves, breaking farther from the beach and with a stronger backwash, would prevent stranding in the uppermost areas. This ecological finding highlights the need for refined temporal studies on mortality events, in order to understand them more clearly. Last, the similar size structure of stranded clams and the living population indicated that the stranded individuals are from the intertidal or shallow subtidal zone, and reinforces the ecological and behavioral components of this process, which have important ecological and socioeconomic implications for the management of this population. PMID:26745804

Rock-walled archaeological features are notoriously hard to date, largely because of the absence of suitable organic material for radiocarbon dating. This study demonstrates the efficacy of dating clam garden wall construction using optical dating, and uses optical ages to determine how sedimentation rates in the intertidal zone are affected by clam garden construction. Clam gardens are rock-walled, intertidal terraces that were constructed and maintained by coastal First Nation peoples to increase bivalve habitat and productivity. These features are evidence of ancient shellfish mariculture on the Pacific Northwest and, based on radiocarbon dating, date to at least the late Holocene. Optical dating exploits the luminescence signals of quartz or feldspar minerals to determine the last time the minerals were exposed to sunlight (i.e., their burial age), and thus does not require the presence of organic material. Optical ages were obtained from three clam garden sites on northern Quadra Island, British Columbia, and their reliability was assessed by comparing them to radiocarbon ages derived from shells underneath the clam garden walls, as well as below the terrace sediments. Our optical and radiocarbon ages suggest that construction of these clam garden walls commenced between ~1000 and ~1700 years ago, and our optical ages suggest that construction of the walls was likely incremental and increased sedimentation rates in the intertidal zone by up to fourfold. Results of this study show that when site characteristics are not amenable to radiocarbon dating, optical dating may be the only viable geochronometer. Furthermore, dating rock-walled marine management features and their geomorphic impact can lead to significant advances in our understanding of the intimate relationships that Indigenous peoples worldwide developed with their seascapes.

Full Text Available Stranding combined with mass-mortality events of sandy-beach organisms is a frequent but little-understood phenomenon, which is generally studied based on discrete episodes. The frequency, magnitude, and possible causes of stranding and mass-mortality events of the trigonal clam Tivela mactroides were assessed based on censuses of stranded individuals, every four days from September 2007 through December 2008, in Caraguatatuba Bay, southeastern Brazil. Stranded clams were classified as dying (closed valves did not open when forced or dead (closed valves were easily opened. Information on wave parameters and the living intertidal clam population was used to assess possible causes of stranding. This fine-scale monitoring showed that stranding occurred widely along the shore and year-round, with peaks interspersed with periods of low or no mortality. Dead clams showed higher mean density than dying individuals, but a lower mean shell length, attributed to a higher tolerance to desiccation of larger individuals. Wave height had a significant negative relationship to the density of dying individuals, presumed to be due to the accretive nature of low-energy waves: when digging out, clams would be more prone to be carried upward and unable to return; while larger waves, breaking farther from the beach and with a stronger backwash, would prevent stranding in the uppermost areas. This ecological finding highlights the need for refined temporal studies on mortality events, in order to understand them more clearly. Last, the similar size structure of stranded clams and the living population indicated that the stranded individuals are from the intertidal or shallow subtidal zone, and reinforces the ecological and behavioral components of this process, which have important ecological and socioeconomic implications for the management of this population.

Stranding combined with mass-mortality events of sandy-beach organisms is a frequent but little-understood phenomenon, which is generally studied based on discrete episodes. The frequency, magnitude, and possible causes of stranding and mass-mortality events of the trigonal clam Tivela mactroides were assessed based on censuses of stranded individuals, every four days from September 2007 through December 2008, in Caraguatatuba Bay, southeastern Brazil. Stranded clams were classified as dying (closed valves did not open when forced) or dead (closed valves were easily opened). Information on wave parameters and the living intertidal clam population was used to assess possible causes of stranding. This fine-scale monitoring showed that stranding occurred widely along the shore and year-round, with peaks interspersed with periods of low or no mortality. Dead clams showed higher mean density than dying individuals, but a lower mean shell length, attributed to a higher tolerance to desiccation of larger individuals. Wave height had a significant negative relationship to the density of dying individuals, presumed to be due to the accretive nature of low-energy waves: when digging out, clams would be more prone to be carried upward and unable to return; while larger waves, breaking farther from the beach and with a stronger backwash, would prevent stranding in the uppermost areas. This ecological finding highlights the need for refined temporal studies on mortality events, in order to understand them more clearly. Last, the similar size structure of stranded clams and the living population indicated that the stranded individuals are from the intertidal or shallow subtidal zone, and reinforces the ecological and behavioral components of this process, which have important ecological and socioeconomic implications for the management of this population.

analysis of the geomagnetic field is performed, and the Q-response, which is the transfer function between the internal (induced) and the external (inducing) expansion coefficients is determined for a specific frequency. In the second approach, known as the geomagnetic depth sounding method, the C....... This paper reviews and discusses the possibilities for induction studies using high-precision magnetic measurements from low-altitude satellites. The different methods and various transfer functions are presented, with special emphasis on the differences in analysing data from ground stations and from...... satellites. The results of several induction studies with scalar satellite data (from the POGO satellites) and with vector data (from the Magsat mission) demonstrate the ability to probe the Earth's conductivity from space. However, compared to the results obtained with ground data the satellite results...

The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential utility of several biochemical parameters as indicators of the toxic effects of cadmium in the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea under two levels of oxygenation (normoxia 21 kPa and hypoxia 4 kPa). These variations in oxygenation are representative of the natural environments of bivalves living at the bottom of the water column, where hypoxic episodes may occur regularly. Cadmium accumulation, metallothionein synthesis, MXR protein induction, lipoperoxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase, glutathione reductase and total and selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidases) were assessed in the gills of C. fluminea in four experimental conditions: normoxia, hypoxia, normoxia with cadmium and hypoxia with cadmium ([Cd] = 30 {mu}g l{sup -1}) over a 14-day period. Behavioural reactions were also followed for the duration of the experiment by monitoring clam activity and valve movements. This study is a first report on biochemical responses under cadmium contamination and hypoxia and will enable us to determine better biomarkers for C. fluminea as they were measured simultaneously. In metal-exposed animals, we found an increasing accumulation of cadmium in the gills with time, and this was more severe in hypoxic conditions. Metallothionein synthesis occurred in contaminated clams and was precocious in hypoxic conditions. MXR protein induction appeared promising due to its quick and significant response to metal with a strong impact from hypoxic contamination. On the other hand, in our experimental conditions, antioxidant parameters did not show decisive responses to contamination and hypoxia, except glutathione peroxidases which decreased systematically with time in a cadmium-independent manner. Lipid peroxidation, expressed as malondialdehyde content, was not stimulated by normoxic contamination, as has been shown in other studies, but was stimulated under hypoxic cadmium contamination. Our study confirms the

Selenium uptake from food (assimilation efficiency) and dissolved phase (influx rate) as well as loss kinetics (efflux rate) were compared between two bivalves, Corbicula fluminea and Potamocorbula amurensis. The effects of salinity and temperature on these kinetic parameters for both clam species also were evaluated. The Asiatic clam, C. fluminea, more efficiently assimilated Se associated with algae (66-87%) than Se associated with oxic sediments (20-37%). However, no consistent difference was found between Se assimilation efficiencies from both food types (19-60%) for P. amurensis. The temperature and salinity had a minor influence on the Se assimilation from ingested food. However, the effects of temperature and salinity were more evident in the uptake from dissolved sources. The influx rate of Se(IV) increased by threefold with the increase of temperature from 5 to 21??C for C. fluminea. The increase of salinity from 4 to 20 psu decreased the uptake rate constant (ku) of Se in P. amurensis from 0.011 to 0.005 L/g/h, whereas salinity change (0-8 psu) had a negligible effect on the Se influx rate of C. fluminea. The Se influx rate of P. amurensis decreased by half with the 3.5-fold increase in tissue dry weight. The rate constant of loss was greater for P. amurensis (0.029/d at 8 psu) than for C. fluminea (0.014/d at 0 psu and 0.01/d at 8 psu). A bioenergetic model suggests that dietary uptake is the dominant pathway for Se bioaccumulation in the two clams in San Francisco Bay and that interspecies differences in Se bioaccumulation can be explained by differences in food ingestion rates. ?? 2006 SETAC.

A mechanism of mercury detoxification has been suggested by a previous study on Hg bioaccumulation in Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) in the polluted Marano and Grado lagoons and in this study we demonstrate that this event could be partly related to the detoxifying activities of Hg-resistant bacteria (MRB) harbored in clam soft tissues. Therefore, natural clams were collected in six stations during two different periods (winter and spring) from Marano and Grado Lagoons. Siphons, gills and hepatopancreas from acclimatized clams were sterile dissected to isolate MRB. These anatomical parts were glass homogenized or used for whole, and they were lying on a solid medium containing 5 mg l{sup −1} HgCl{sub 2} and incubated at 30 °C. A total of fourteen bacterial strains were isolated and were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and analysis, revealing that strains were representative of eight bacterial genera, four of which were Gram-positive (Enterococcus, Bacillus, Jeotgalicoccus and Staphylococcus) and other four were Gram-negative (Stenotrophomonas, Vibrio, Raoultella and Enterobacter). Plasmids and merA genes were found and their sequences determined. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique shows the presence of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria by using different molecular probes in siphon and gills. Bacterial clumps inside clam flesh were observed and even a Gram-negative endosymbiont was disclosed by transmission electronic microscope inside clam cells. Bacteria harbored in cavities of soft tissue have mercury detoxifying activity. This feature was confirmed by the determination of mercuric reductase in glass-homogenized siphons and gills. -- Highlights: ► We isolated Gram-positive and Gram-negative Hg resistant strains from soft tissues of Ruditapes philippinarum. ► We identify 14 mercury resistant strains by 16S rRNA gene sequences. ► Bacteria in siphon and gill tissues of clams were observed by TEM and identified

In an attempt to feed purple clams (Hiatula rostrata) with dinoglagellate Alexandrium minutum, the maximal accumulation toxicity of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins reached 40.6 MU/g on day 5 of feeding. Subsequently, the toxicity increased no further, although purple clams ingested more toxic algae. Furthermore, when milkfish (Chanos chanos) larvae were treated with toxic, nontoxic A. minutum or PSP toxin-containing extract in the water medium, it was found that the mortality of fish increased with the increasing concentrations of toxic algae. PSP toxin-containing extract did not show any toxic effect on milkfish larvae.

Ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations results in a decrease in seawater pH and shifts in the carbonate chemistry that can negatively affect marine organisms. Marine bivalves such as the hard-shell clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, serve as ecosystem engineers in estuaries and coastal zones of the western Atlantic and, as for many marine calcifiers, are sensitive to the impacts of ocean acidification. In estuaries, the effects of ocean acidification can be exacerbated by low buffering capacity of brackish waters, acidic inputs from freshwaters and land, and/or the negative effects of salinity on the physiology of organisms. We determined the interactive effects of 21 weeks of exposure to different levels of CO2 (~395, 800 and 1500 μatm corresponding to pH of 8.2, 8.1 and 7.7, respectively) and salinity (32 versus 16) on biomineralization, shell properties and energy metabolism of juvenile hard-shell clams. Low salinity had profound effects on survival, energy metabolism and biomineralization of hard-shell clams and modulated their responses to elevated PCO2. Negative effects of low salinity in juvenile clams were mostly due to the strongly elevated basal energy demand, indicating energy deficiency, that led to reduced growth, elevated mortality and impaired shell maintenance (evidenced by the extensive damage to the periostracum). The effects of elevated PCO2 on physiology and biomineralization of hard-shell clams were more complex. Elevated PCO2 (~800-1500 μatm) had no significant effects on standard metabolic rates (indicative of the basal energy demand), but affected growth and shell mechanical properties in juvenile clams. Moderate hypercapnia (~800 μatm PCO2) increased shell and tissue growth and reduced mortality of juvenile clams in high salinity exposures; however, these effects were abolished under the low salinity conditions or at high PCO2 (~1500 μatm). Mechanical properties of the shell (measured as microhardness and

Virginia 23062 DTIC 20 June 1984 ELECTE ~L&JMAR 12 i9BB IA B! ,", Contract No. DACW65-84-M-0056 -Ap’oved to: publicO t01b0 I D)WtbuZidon Unlimited .~Norfolk...impact on the transport of the larval oysters and hard clams during their planktonic stage. Oysters and hard clams are widely tolerant to high salinity...planktonic for about 2 weeks and during this period are transported by currents. This latter aspect will be covered later in our discussion on oysters. ~i

Full Text Available We investigated the expression of CYP1A in the foot, gill and visceral mass of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea in relation to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs exposure. Different PCBs congeners were found in the foot and visceral mass, while the expression of CYP1A was observed only in the visceral mass. However the level of CYP1A expression in the visceral mass was not related to the level of PCBs present in the tissue. Our results indicate a higher rate of biotransformation and lower threshold of CYP1A induction in the visceral mass compared with other tissues.

Heavy precipitation events occur regularly in the western Mediterranean region. These events often have a high impact on the society due to economic and personal losses. The improvement of the mesoscale numerical forecasts of these events can be used to prevent or minimize their impact on the society. In previous studies, two ensemble prediction systems (EPSs) based on perturbing the model initial and boundary conditions were developed and tested for a collection of high-impact MEDEX cyclonic episodes. These EPSs perturb the initial and boundary potential vorticity (PV) field through a PV inversion algorithm. This technique ensures modifications of all the meteorological fields without compromising the mass-wind balance. One EPS introduces the perturbations along the zones of the three-dimensional PV structure presenting the local most intense values and gradients of the field (a semi-objective choice, PV-gradient), while the other perturbs the PV field over the MM5 adjoint model calculated sensitivity zones (an objective method, PV-adjoint). The PV perturbations are set from a PV error climatology (PVEC) that characterizes typical PV errors in the ECMWF forecasts, both in intensity and displacement. This intensity and displacement perturbation of the PV field is chosen randomly, while its location is given by the perturbation zones defined in each ensemble generation method. Encouraged by the good results obtained by these two EPSs that perturb the PV field, a new approach based on a manual perturbation of the PV field has been tested and compared with the previous results. This technique uses the satellite water vapor (WV) observations to guide the correction of initial PV structures. The correction of the PV field intents to improve the match between the PV distribution and the WV image, taking advantage of the relation between dark and bright features of WV images and PV anomalies, under some assumptions. Afterwards, the PV inversion algorithm is applied to run

The main purpose of this classic text is to demonstrate how Newtonian gravitational theory and Euclidean geometry can be used and developed in the earth's environment. The second is to collect and explain some of the mathematical techniques developed for measuring the earth by satellite.Book chapters include discussions of the earth's gravitational field, with special emphasis on spherical harmonies and the potential of the ellipsoid; matrices and orbital geometry; elliptic motion, linear perturbations, resonance, and other aspects of satellite orbit dynamics; the geometry of satellite obser

During the past decade, satellite technology has grown increasingly more sophisticated. Satellites are being used in public interest activities, especially through the Public Service Satellite Consortium. But what about the field of education? How can education, especially vocational education, make use of satellite communications technology? In…

French et al. determined the orbits of the Uranian rings, the orientation of the pole of Uranus, and the gravity harmonics of Uranus from Earth-based and Voyager ring occultations. Jacobson et al. determined the orbits of the Uranian satellites and the masses of Uranus and its satellites from Earth-based astrometry and observations acquired with the Voyager 2 spacecraft; they used the gravity harmonics and pole from French et al. Jacobson and Rush reconstructed the Voyager 2 trajectory and redetermined the Uranian system gravity parameters, satellite orbits, and ring orbits in a combined analysis of the data used previously augmented with additional Earth-based astrometry. Here we report on an extension of that work that incorporates additional astrometry and ring occultations together with improved data processing techniques.

This authoritative book provides a thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts of satellite communications (SATCOM) network design and performance assessments. You find discussions on a wide class of SATCOM networks using satellites as core components, as well as coverage key applications in the field. This in-depth resource presents a broad range of critical topics, from geosynchronous Earth orbiting (GEO) satellites and direct broadcast satellite systems, to low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites, radio standards and protocols.This invaluable reference explains the many specific uses of

Objective: To investigate the potent and specific anticoagulant activity of molluscan glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) isolated from whole clam tissue Donax cuneatus (D. cuneatus). Methods: Purification of few milligram quantities of GAGs from this tissue sample permitted a thorough examination of its anticoagulant activity characterization, which was partially purified by fractionation by anion exchange chromatography using DEAE cellulose column. The isolated crude and partially purified fractionated sample was showing metachromatic shift while using azure-A. The sample also exhibited prominent of biological and anti-fXa anticoagulant activity assays. Mobility was analyzed by two different buffer systems using agarose gel electrophoresis.Results:The fractionated molluscan GAG was also found to have similar peaks as that of standard heparin when assessed by the FT-IR spectrum. Finally molecular weight was determined by the gradient PAGE for crude and fractionated-II GAG, which were found to be 65 000 Da and 50 000 Da, respectively. Conclusions: The bivalve GAG was subjected to fractionation for further purification and its chemical components were analyzed. The fractionated clam heparin also showed substantial in vitro anticoagulant activity than that of commercial heparins.

Repetitive sequences are important components of eukaryotic genomes that drive their evolution. Among them are different types of mobile elements that share the ability to spread throughout the genome and form interspersed repeats. To broaden the generally scarce knowledge on bivalves at the genome level, in the clam Donax trunculus we described two new non-autonomous DNA transposons, miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs), named DTC M1 and DTC M2. Like other MITEs, they are characterized by their small size, their A + T richness, and the presence of terminal inverted repeats (TIRs). DTC M1 and DTC M2 are 261 and 286 bp long, respectively, and in addition to TIRs, both of them contain a long imperfect palindrome sequence in their central parts. These elements are present in complete and truncated versions within the genome of the clam D. trunculus. The two new MITEs share only structural similarity, but lack any nucleotide sequence similarity to each other. In a search for related elements in databases, blast search revealed within the Crassostrea gigas genome a larger element sharing sequence similarity only to DTC M1 in its TIR sequences. The lack of sequence similarity with any previously published mobile elements indicates that DTC M1 and DTC M2 elements may be unique to D. trunculus.

Full Text Available Population parameters such as asymptotic (L∞, growth coefficient (K, mortality rates (Z,F and M, exploitation level (E and recruitment pattern of the freshwater clam Galatea paradoxa were estimated using length-frequency data from the Volta River estuary, Ghana. The L∞ for G. paradoxa at the Volta estuary was 105.7 mm, the growth coefficient (K and the growth performance index (Ǿ ranged between 0.14–0.18 year-1 and 3.108–3.192, respectively. Total mortality (Z was 0.65–0.82 year-1, while natural mortality (M and fishing mortality (F were 0.35–0.44 year-1 and 0.21–0.47 year-1, respectively, with an exploitation level of 0.32–0.57. The recruitment pattern suggested that G. paradoxa has year-round recruitment with a single pulse over an extended period (October–March in the Volta River. The Volta River stock of G. paradoxa is overfished and requires immediate action to conserve it. This can be achieved by implementing a minimum landing size restriction and intensifying the culture of smaller clams which is a traditional activity at the estuary.

Full Text Available This study documents the fishery of the short-necked clam Paphia undulata in coastal waters of southern Negros Occidental. Catch and effort estimates were determined based on daily records of compressor divers gathered between February-July 2008 in Himamaylan City and July 2008-May 2009 in the town of Hinigaran. Fishing and marketing practices in both areas were also documented and population biology information noted.Compared to earlier conditions, present fishing patterns show a worsened stage of overexploitation primarily characterized by collection of predominantly small and immature (mostly <45 mm shell lengths sizes. Intensity/duration and location of fishing also varied due to both abundance and demand factors.The difference in sizes of clams and the varying fishing durations in each area suggest a non-uniform pattern of settlement resulting most likely from differential larval recruitment, the likely factors causing the local boom and bust fishery. The larger and long term extent of the effect of these factors can only be further investigated by parallel 2-3 year fishery-dependent and -independent surveys

Full Text Available There is an uncertainty for the relationships among giant clam species of Tridacninae, in particular among species belongs to subgenus Chametrachea i.e. Tridacna crocea, T. maxima, and T. squamosa based on different genetic markers. This study examined the relationships among three species within subgenus Chametrachea compared to the previous studies. Neighbour Joining, Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood tree were constructed based on 455 bp of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase I gene from T. crocea, T. squamosa, T. maxima, T. gigas, and several sequences derived from Genbank for the outgroups. The results showed that giant clams formed a monophyletic group. Within Tridacna group, T. crocea was more closely related to T. squamosa than to T. maxima and they formed a monophyletic group. T. crocea and T. squamosa were sister taxa and sister group to T. maxima and T. gigas. Close affinity between T. crocea and T. squamosa was also supported by high similarity on nucleotide level (94.30% and concordant with the results of the previous studies using mitochondrial 16S rRNA and nuclear 18S rRNA.

Giant clams harbor symbiotic zooxanthellae and manifest light-enhanced calcification. In light, they also increase the absorption and assimilation of exogenous ammonia, but the roles of the host and symbionts are unclear and the reason for light dependency remains enigmatic. Here, we report the complete coding cDNA sequence of a glutamine synthetase (GS), from the ctenidia (gill) of Tridacna squamosa. The deduced GS amino acid sequence was closely related to other animal GSs, indicating a host origin. The GS/GS transcript level and protein abundance increased significantly in the ctenidia after 12 h of light exposure. These results denote the ctenidia as the site of light-enhanced ammonia absorption with the absorbed ammonia being assimilated to glutamine by the host GS. Immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed that GS was expressed predominantly in the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells separating the tertiary water channels from the hemolymph inside the ctenidia. Hence, unlike symbiotic cnidarians, the host clam probably supplies exogenous nitrogen as glutamine from the ctenidia, through the hemolymph and tubular fluid, to the nitrogen-deficient zooxanthellae which reside extracellularly in the extensible outer mantle. This is the first report on light-dependent gene and protein expression of a host enzyme involved in nitrogen metabolism in an alga-invertebrate association.

The biodiversity of the Red Sea remains relatively understudied, particularly for invertebrate taxa. Documenting present patterns of biodiversity is essential for better understanding Red Sea reef ecosystems and how these ecosystems may be impacted by stressors (such as fishing and climate change). Several species of giant clams (genus Tridacna) are reported from the Red Sea, although the majority of research effort has occurred in the Gulf of Aqaba. We investigated the genetic diversity (16S rDNA) of the Tridacna species found in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea. We also investigated the genetic diversity (ITS rDNA) of symbiotic dinoflagellates Symbiodinium associated with these clams. Samples were collected from nine reefs on a cross-shelf gradient near Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Two species, T. squamosa and T. maxima, were recorded, with the latter being the most abundant. Tridacna squamosina, a species recently reported in the northern Red Sea, was not found, suggesting that this species is not present or is very rare in our study region. All tridacnids sampled were found to harbor Symbiodinium grouped in Clade A, considered an opportunistic, heat-tolerant symbiont group in anemones and corals. The consistent association with Clade A Symbiodinium in central Red Sea tridacnids may reflect the consequence of adaptation to the relatively extreme conditions of the Red Sea. This study contributes to an ever-growing catalog of Red Sea biodiversity and serves as important baseline information for a region experiencing dynamic pressures.

Full Text Available Dual Functional Lithium Lead (DFLL blanket was proposed for its advantages of high energy exchange efficiency and on-line tritium extraction, and it was selected as the candidate test blanket module (TBM for China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR and the blanket for Fusion Design Study (FDS series fusion reactors. Considering the influence of high energy fusion neutron irradiation and high heat flux thermal load on the blanket, China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM steel was selected as the structural material for DFLL blanket. The structure of the blanket and the cooling internal components were pretty complicated. Meanwhile, high precision and reliability were required in the blanket fabrication. Therefore, several welding techniques, such as hot isostatic pressing diffusion bonding, tungsten inner gas welding, electron beam welding and laser beam welding were developed for the fabrication of cooling internals and the assembly of the blanket. In this work, the weldability on CLAM steel by different welding methods and the properties of as-welded and post-weld heat-treated joints were investigated. Meanwhile, the welding schemes and the assembly strategy for TBM fabrication were raised. Many tests and research efforts on scheme feasibility, process standardization, component qualification and blanket assembly were reviewed.

The 2010 pyroclastic density currents (PDC) at Merapi have presented a rare opportunity to collect a uniquely detailed dataset of the source, extent, lateral variations and impact of various PDC deposits on a densely populated area. Using traditional volcanological field-based methods and a multi-temporal dataset of high-resolution satellite imagery, a total of 23 PDC events have been recognized, including 5 main channeled flows, 15 overbank flows derived from overspill and re-channelization of the main PDCs into adjacent tributaries and two main surge events. The 2010 PDC deposits covered an area of ~ 22.3 km2, unequally distributed between valley-filling (6.9%), overbank (22.4%) and surge and associated fallout deposits (71.7%). Their total estimated non-DRE volume is ~ 36.3 × 106 m3, with 50.2% of this volume accounting for valley-filling deposits, 39.3% for overbank deposits and 10.5% for surge and associated fallout deposits. More than 70% of the total volume was deposited during the third eruptive phase (4-5 November), and only 16.6%, 11.5% and 0.9% during the first (26-29 October), second (30 October - 3 November) and fourth phase (6-23 November), respectively. The internal architecture and lithofacies variations of the 2010 PDC deposits were investigated using data collected from 30 stratigraphic sections measured after one rainy season of erosion. The results show that complex, local-scale variations in flow dynamics and deposit architectures are apparent and that the major factors controlling the propagation of the main flows and their potential hazards for overbanking were driven by: (1) the rapid emplacement of several voluminous PDCs, associated with the steady infilling of the receiving landscape after the two first phases of the eruption; (2) longitudinal changes in channel capacity following increased sinuosity in the valley and decreased containment space; and (3) the effects of varying source mechanisms (gravitational dome collapse, vertical or

A selective pressurized liquid extraction technique (SPLE) was developed for the analysis of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (dl-PCBs) in clam and crab tissue. The SPLE incorporated multiple cleanup adsorbents (alumina, florisil, silica gel, celite, and carbopack) within the extraction cell. Tissue extracts were analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography coupled with electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometry. Mean recovery (n = 3) and percent relative standard deviation for PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in clam and crabs was 89 ± 2.3 and 85 ± 4.0, respectively. The SPLE method was applied to clams and crabs collected from the San Jacinto River Waste Pits, a Superfund site in Houston, TX. The dl-PCBs concentrations in clams and crabs ranged from 50 to 2,450 and 5 to 800 ng/g ww, respectively. Sample preparation time and solvents were reduced by 92 % and 65 %, respectively, as compared to USEPA method 1613.

Caffeine is known to be one of the most consumed psychoactive drugs. For this reason, caffeine is continuously released into the environment with potential impacts on inhabiting organisms. The current study evaluated the biochemical alterations induced in the clam species Ruditapes philippinarum after exposure for 28 days to caffeine (0.5, 3.0 and 18.0 μg/L). The results obtained showed that, with the increasing caffeine concentrations, an increase in clams defense mechanisms (such as antioxidant and biotransformation enzymes activity) was induced which was accompanied by an increase in protein content. Nevertheless, although an increase on defense mechanisms was observed, clams were not able to prevent cells from lipid peroxidation that increased with the increase of caffeine concentration. Furthermore, with the increase of exposure concentrations, clams increased their metabolic activity (measured by electron transport activity), reducing their energy reserves (glycogen content), to fight against oxidative stress. Overall, the present study demonstrated that caffeine may impact bivalves, even at environmentally relevant concentrations, inducing oxidative stress in organisms. The present study is an important contribution to address knowledge gaps regarding the impacts of long-term exposures to pharmaceuticals since most of the studies assessed the effects after acute exposures, most of them up to 96 h.

Full Text Available Valve closure behavior in freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea is a biologically sensitive endpoint. The purpose of this paper was to derive an electrophysiological response model of C. fluminea to assess copper (Cu-sodium (Na interactions in gill membrane, whereby valve closure behavior and Cu toxicity could be monitored. The proposed model was based on the integration of Cu bioavailability, Na and Cu internalizations, and electrochemically-based gill potentials. Based on Na active transport under non-equilibrium conditions, predicted gill potential of -8.2 mV agreed reasonably well with published the measured transepithelial potential of -7 mV in C. fluminea. Our proposed framework captured the general features observed in model applications including: (i 50% inhibitory Cu2+ activities for Na membrane potential (ENa and uptake rate (JNa were estimated to be 0.072 and 0.043 mM, respectively, with a stoichiometry of 3Cu2+: 1ENa and 1JNa; (ii the external Cu2+-dependent internal Na concentration could be parsimoniously estimated, and (iii the site-specific clam gill potentials could be monitored. Here we provided a new approach to monitor waterborne metal toxicity to reduce the nationwide economic losses due to bans on harvesting of contaminated clam and the potential risks to the health of clams.

Cysteine-rich intestinal protein (CRIP), a Zn(2+)-binding protein, contains a single copy of the highly conserved double-zinc-finger structure known as the LIM (lin-11-isl-1-mec-3) motif. In this paper, a cDNA encoding MmCRIP was isolated from the Asiatic hard clam Meretrix meretrix. The full-length cDNA of MmCRIP consists of a 237-bp open reading frame that encodes a polypeptide of 78 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight (MW) of 8635.8 Da and theoretical isoelectric point (pI) of 9.01. Bioinformatics analysis showed that it belonged to a new member of the CRIP subfamily. Relationship analysis revealed that MmCRIP has high-levels of sequence similarity to many CRIPs reported in other animals, particularly in invertebrates. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the highest level of MmCRIP expression was in hemocyte tissue and at pediveligers stage. To investigate immune function, mature clams were challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila. During A. hydrophila infection, up-regulation of MmCRIP transcript in clam's hemocyte, gill and hepatopancreas was detected. DsRNAi (double-strand RNA interference) approach was employed to study the function of MmCRIP and the data showed that inactivation of the MmCRIP gene blocked larvae development and caused mass mortalities. The probable roles of MmCRIP in clam early development and innate immunity are presented for the first time.

Manila clams sampled in Seonjae Island, Korea with shell lengths (SL) below 19.76 mm in average showed a significantly depleted carbon and nitrogen isotope values (Pcultured in IFHRI. The result of fatty acid composition of manila clams in relation to size or growth rate suggests that fast growing clams would have rapid metabolism of fatty acids not required by the animals and an accumulation of the essential fatty acids (PUFA). In addition, their higher energy requirement and more active state of development would further diminish lipid reserve of the species.

Full Text Available Harvesting of clams(Tapes philippinarum has important socio-economic and environmental implications for the Venice lagoon area, Italy. Clam harvesting disrupts the structure of benthic communities but the effects upon sediment stability and surface structure remain unclear. The effect of clam fishing on the sediment properties of the lagoon bed was investigated at two different sites, a heavily fished site (San Angelo and an infrequently fished site (San Giaccomo. Both sites were assessed for immediate impacts of fishing, using indicators of biogenic sediment stabilisation. Samples were taken at three points along three 100 m linear transects at each site prior to and post fishing. Paired samples were also taken parallel to each transect at a distance of 5m, to allow for temporal variation. Sediment stability, measured with a cohesive strength meter (CSM, was significantly higher at the less impacted site (F1,34 = 6.23, p a (chl a, colloidal-S carbohydrate and dry bulk density were observed on the transect after fishing but not adjacent to the fishing path. At the heavily impacted site, clam fishing by trawling had, in general, no significant effect on the biological and physical properties (although chl a did decrease significantly after fishing. The lack of a significant impact from fishing at the impacted site was attributed to the higher frequency of fishing occurring in this area. Hence, frequent fishing of the lagoon prevents establishment of biotic communities, preventing biostabilisation and thus reduces the stability of the surface sediment. Keywords: clam harvesting, erosion threshold, microphytobenthos, sediment, stability

Quantitative determination by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed for gymnodimine-A (GYM-A), a phycotoxin responsible for the contamination of Tunisian clams. This study demonstrates a rapid and reproducible HPLC-ultraviolet (UV) method for extraction, detection and quantification of GYM-A in toxic clams. The extraction of GYM-A from the digestive gland of clams in acetone, subsequent clean-up with diethyl ether and extraction with dichloromethane is the more valid protocol. Chromatography analyses were performed using a gradient of acetonitrile-water (10:90 to 90:10), containing trifluoroacetic acid (0.1%) for 20 min at 1 mL/min rate with a C18 column. Recovery rates exceeded 96%, and limits of detection and quantification were 5 ng/mL and 8 ng/g digestive gland, respectively. Repeatability and reproducibility were tested for various samples containing different levels of GYM-A. A significant correlation was observed between toxicity level of samples and the determined amount of GYM-A. Also, the persistence of GYM-A in contaminated clams from Boughrara lagoon was demonstrated. The kinetics discharge study of GYM-A in controlled medium, during 1 month, showed that the process of depuration was biphasic with an exponential discharge of 75% of the total amount of sequestered GYM-A during the first 12 days followed by a slow discharge (>10%) for the subsequent days up to the seventeenth day. This is the first time that a quantitative study of GYM-A in clams from Tunisian coasts is performed through the development of a new method for detection and quantify of this phycotoxin. We found HPLC-UV a reliable and suitable alternative to the mouse bioassay.

We present ALTAIR incoherent scatter radar plasma drifts and in situ electric field, magnetic field, and plasma density measurements made simultaneously with probes on two sounding rockets and the C/NOFS satellite in the low latitude ionosphere in the vicinity of Kwajalein Atoll. The coincident data were gathered during sunset conditions prior to a spread-F event during the NASA EVEX Campaign. The sounding rocket apogees were 180 km and 330 km, while the C/NOFS altitude in this region was ~ 390 km. Electric field data from all three platforms display upwards vertical plasma drifts, while the zonal drifts change direction as a function of altitude and/or local time. The variable drifts provide evidence of a dynamic plasma environment which may contribute to the unstable conditions necessary for spread-F instabilities to form.

The mathematical model, which allowed us to reconstruct the rotational motion of the Bion M-1 and Foton M-4 satellites by processing the measurements of onboard magnetometers and the angular velocity sensor, is sufficiently detailed and accurate. If we slightly lower the requirements for accuracy and transfer to a rougher model, i.e., we will not update the biases in measurements of the angular velocity component, then the measurement processing technique can be significantly simplified. The volume of calculations in minimizing the functional of the least-square technique is reduced; the most complicated part of calculations is performed using the standard procedure of computational linear algebra. This simplified technique is described below, and the examples of its application for reconstructing the rotational motion of the Foton M-4 satellite are presented. A noticeable distinction in the reconstructions of motion, constructed by simplified and more exact techniques, is revealed in processing the measurements over time intervals longer than 4 hours.

Environmental resource managers and policy makers require a reliable tool to quickly assess the spatial extent of any natural resources, including seagrasses, in order to develop management plans. Even small natural or anthropogenic disturbances can cause severe changes in the distributional pattern of seagrass meadows. Satellite imageries provide a suitable means to detect and assess such changes in space and time in remote and inaccessible areas. Present study aims to understand the distribution pattern of seagrasses after the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 with the help of Indian Remote Sensing satellite data and in situ ground surveys with hand held GPS. As no geospatial data bases were available for the pre-tsunami period, the changes in seagrass cover were compared with the ground estimates available in the literature and also using pre-tsunami satellite data sets. The study found severe loss of seagrasses in the northern Andaman particularly in the Interview and North reef islands and in the Nicobar group of islands including Great Nicobar and Trinket islands. The investigation revealed the presence of 2,943.38 ha of seagrass covering the entire Andaman and Nicobar islands, and that 1,619.41 ha of seagrasses had been denuded during this period. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2004 was the major reason for the loss of seagrasses in these islands. The seagrass spatial map generated in the present study can be used for the development of conservation and management plans and also to restore the denuded seagrasses of this region.

two satellites. A general solution for accurate height computation depends on precise navigation of the two satellites. Validation of the geosynchronous satellite stereo using high altitude mountain lakes and vertically pointing aircraft lidar leads to a height accuracy estimate of +/- 500 m for typical clouds which have been studied. Applications of the satellite stereo include: 1) cloud top and base height measurements, 2) cloud-wind height assignment, 3) vertical motion estimates for convective clouds (Mack et al. [13], [14]), 4) temperature vs. height measurements when stereo is used together with infrared observations and 5) cloud emissivity measurements when stereo, infrared and temperature sounding are used together (see Szejwach et al. [15]). When true satellite stereo image pairs are not available, synthetic stereo may be generated. The combination of multispectral satellite data using computer produced stereo image pairs is a dramatic example of synthetic stereoscopic display. The classic case uses the combination of infrared and visible data as first demonstrated by Pichel et al. [16]. Hasler et at. [17], Mosher and Young [18] and Lorenz [19], have expanded this concept to display many channels of data from various radiometers as well as real and simulated data fields. A future system of stereoscopic satellites would be comprised of both low orbiters (as suggested by Lorenz and Schmidt [20], [19]) and a global system of geosynchronous satellites. The low earth orbiters would provide stereo coverage day and night and include the poles. An optimum global system of stereoscopic geosynchronous satellites would require international standarization of scan rate and direction, and scan times (synchronization) and resolution of at least 1 km in all imaging channels. A stereoscopic satellite system as suggested here would make an extremely important contribution to the understanding and prediction of the atmosphere.

Dr. Madry, one of the world's leading experts in the field, provides in a condensed form a quick yet comprehensive overview of satellite navigation. This book concisely addresses the latest technology, the applications, the regulatory issues, and the strategic implications of satellite navigation systems. This assesses the strengths and weaknesses of satellite navigation networks and review of all the various national systems now being deployed and the motivation behind the proliferation of these systems.

Two years after the Hebei Spirit oil spill occurred off the west coast of Korea, we determined sub-lethal effects of the spilled oil on hemocyte parameters of Ruditapes philippinarum in the damaged areas. Clams in the spilled sites displayed unusually high proportion of granulocytes, which may result in higher phagocytosis capacity and reactive oxygen species production. Hemocytes in clams from the polluted sites also displayed less DNA damage and mortality than in the control site, possibly due to a faster phagocytosis of the impaired cells. Glycogen, the major energetic reserve, was depleted in clams from the spilled sites, potentially due to energetic consumption for maintenance of a large pool of granulocytes, detoxification processes and oxidative stress. Modified hemocyte parameters in clams in the spilled area, may reflect sub-lethal physiological stresses caused by the residual oils in the sediment, in conjunction with environmental modifications such as food availability and pathogens pattern.

Biochemical compositions, condition index (CI) and percentage edibility (PE) of an estuarine clam, Paphia malabarica, were studied from two estuarine regions of Goa during March 2009 to March 2010. Relationships between nutritive components...

Metal content was determined in three groups of molluscs - an oyster Saccostrea cucullata, snail Cerithium rubus and clam Tellina angulata from three sites along the Bombay Coast. Seasonal difference in copper content was significant in S. cucullata...

The typical organic pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) anthracene was selected as a contaminant to investigate its effects on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the clam Ruditapes philippinarum. The results show that SOD, CAT and GSH-Px had diff erent induction and inhibition reactions to anthracene stress, and that three diff erent organs in R. philippinarum (visceral mass, muscle tissue and mantle) had diff erent sensitivities to anthracene stress. This study suggest that SOD activities of the visceral mass, CAT activitities of the mantle and the visceral mass, and GSH-Px activity of the muscle tissue could be used as sensitive indicators of anthracene stress in R. philippinarum.

This study describes the apicomplexa as well as other parasites infecting organs/tissues of the hard clam Meretrix meretrix Linnaeus, from Merambong Shoal, Western Johor Straits, Malaysia. Samples were collected randomly by hand picking, in November and December 2013. Histological techniques were performed, stained using Masson's Trichrome protocol and observed under light microscope. The results showed that gonad and gill were the most infected organs followed by digestive gland, intestine and adductor muscle. No pathology condition was observed in the mantle. Histophatological examination showed that the gregarine, Nematopsis, unidentified coccidian and Perkinsus were found in the gill and gonad, and also in the numerous hemocytes. Other pathological conditions such as bacteria-like inclusion and intracellular bacteria were also observed in the same organs. Further investigations are needed particularly on other molluscs present at the study area. Understanding the morphology and pathology of parasites infecting mollusks are very important for management of the resources.

Until recently, little focus was given to the presence of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning ( DSP) toxin esters in seafood products. However, during the last few years, the occurrence of a high percentage of esters of the total amount of DSP toxins present in some seafood products has been observed....... Samples of Danish surf clams ( Spisola spp.) and blue mussels ( Mytilus edulis) from 1999 - 2004 were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry ( LC/ MS/ MS) for the presence of DSP toxin esters. The samples contained only okadaic acid and esters of okadaic acid. The level...... of okadaic acid esters of the total okadaic acid equivalents ranged from 21 to 86%, mean 59%. The probability of a high percentage of okadaic acid esters seems to increase with higher amounts of total okadaic acid equivalents in the bivalves. The large prevalence of DSP toxin esters are of particular...

Full Text Available Two bivalves, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, and the soft clam Callista chione were exposed to various Ni concentrations for a total period of 20 days, and then a depuration period of 10 days followed. Nickel accumulation in gills, mantle and the remaining body of the animals was measured after 5, 10, 15 and 20 days of exposure to Ni-contaminated seawater. The two organisms showed different behavior regarding Ni accumulation in all three tissues examined. In all concentrations, Ni accumulation increased with time in all three tissues of Mytilus galloprovincialis with gills being the most effective accumulator per dry mass. On the other hand, Callista chione showed an initial response to Ni contamination the first 5 days, followed by stabilization or even a slight decrease of Ni accumulation.

Estuaries are very important ecosystems with great ecological and economic value, but usually highly impacted by anthropogenic pressure. Thus, the assessment of pollution levels in these habitats is critical in order to evaluate their environmental quality. In this work, we combined complementary metallomic and proteomic approaches with the aim to monitor the effects of environmental pollution on Scrobicularia plana clams captured in three estuarine systems from the south coast of Portugal; Arade estuary, Ria Formosa and Guadiana estuary. Multi-elemental profiling of digestive glands was carried out to evaluate the differential pollution levels in the three study areas. Then, proteomic analysis by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry revealed twenty-one differential proteins, which could be associated with multiple toxicological mechanisms induced in environmentally stressed organisms. Accordingly, it could be concluded that the combination of different omic approaches presents a great potential in environmental research.

Vibriosis is a leading cause of seafood-associated morbidity and mortality in the United States. Typically associated with consumption of raw or undercooked oysters, vibriosis associated with clam consumption is increasingly being reported. However, little is known about the prevalence of Vibrio spp. in clams. The objective of this study was to compare the levels of Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio vulnificus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oysters and clams harvested concurrently from Long Island Sound (LIS). Most probable number (MPN)-real-time PCR methods were used for enumeration of total V. cholerae, V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, and pathogenic (tdh(+) and/or trh(+)) V. parahaemolyticus. V. cholerae was detected in 8.8% and 3.3% of oyster (n = 68) and clam (n = 30) samples, with levels up to 1.48 and 0.48 log MPN/g in oysters and clams, respectively. V. vulnificus was detected in 97% and 90% of oyster and clam samples, with median levels of 0.97 and -0.08 log MPN/g, respectively. V. parahaemolyticus was detected in all samples, with median levels of 1.88 and 1.07 log MPN/g for oysters and clams, respectively. The differences between V. vulnificus and total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus levels in the two shellfish species were statistically significant (P V. vulnificus and total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus are more prevalent and are present at higher levels in oysters than in hard clams. Additionally, the data suggest differences in vibrio populations between shellfish harvested from different growing area waters within LIS. These results can be used to evaluate and refine illness mitigation strategies employed by risk managers and shellfish control authorities.

We report the first identification of homoanatoxin-a from benthic marine cyanobacteria (Hydrocoleum lyngbyaceum) samples collected in Lifou (Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia), where cases of giant clams (Tridacna maxima) intoxications were recorded during a severe ciguatera fish poisoning outbreak. Homoanatoxin-a was also detected in extracts of giant clams harvested in the surroundings of the contaminated area suggesting the possible link between these poisoning events and the occurrence of potentially neurotoxic Hydrocoleum. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Visible and Infrared satellite imagery taken from radiometer instruments on SMS (ATS) and GOES satellites in geostationary orbit. These satellites produced...

In present study, the inbreeding depression ( ID) of growth and survival of Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) was investigated at larval and juvenile stages. Nine inbred families ( A 2, B 2, C 2, D 2, E 2, F 2, G 2, H 2 and I 2) were established by mating within nine full-sib families with expected inbreeding coefficient of 0.25. Inbred families showed significant differences in shell length and hatching rate of D-larvae (straight-hinged larvae). The larvae of the nine inbred families grew slower than those of control group ( CG), and their ID value ranged from 0.81% ± 6.09% to 16.10% ± 1.49%. The ID value of larval survival rate varied between 27.47% ± 9.36% and 70.50% ± 13.66%. The ID was also detected for juvenile growth in A 2, B 2, C 2, and D 2, which ranged from 4.60 ± 2.21 to 17.71 ± 7.73. The A 2 family maintained the highest juvenile survival rate, whereas the other inbred families exhibited ID values varying between 62.79% ± 4.54% and 96.14% ± 0.87%. The linear relationship of estimated ID between growth and survival was negatively correlated ( R = -0.434, P < 0.05). The results of this study suggested that the ID of growth was common at the larval stage but was less prevalent at juvenile stage. In contrast, the ID of survival increased from larval to juvenile stage. A better understanding of the effect of inbreeding may aid to selective breeding of Manila clam.

Full Text Available Recruitment constraints on Singapore's dwindling fluted giant clam, Tridacna squamosa, population were studied by modelling fertilisation, larval transport, and settlement using real-time hydrodynamic forcing combined with knowledge of spawning characteristics, larval development, behaviour, and settlement cues. Larval transport was simulated using a finite-volume advection-diffusion model coupled to a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. Three recruitment constraint hypotheses were tested: 1 there is limited connectivity between Singapore's reefs and other reefs in the region, 2 there is limited exchange within Singapore's Southern Islands, and 3 there exist low-density constraints to fertilisation efficacy (component Allee effects. Results showed that connectivity among giant clam populations was primarily determined by residual hydrodynamic flows and spawning time, with greatest chances of successful settlement occurring when spawning and subsequent larval dispersal coincided with the period of lowest residual flow. Simulations suggested poor larval transport from reefs located along the Peninsular Malaysia to Singapore, probably due to strong surface currents between the Andaman Sea and South China Sea combined with a major land barrier disrupting larval movement among reefs. The model, however, predicted offshore coral reefs to the southeast of Singapore (Bintan and Batam may represent a significant source of larvae. Larval exchange within Singapore's Southern Islands varied substantially depending on the locations of source and sink reefs as well as spawning time; but all simulations resulted in low settler densities (2.1-68.6 settled individuals per 10,000 m(2. Poor fertilisation rates predicted by the model indicate that the low density and scattered distribution of the remaining T. squamosa in Singapore are likely to significantly inhibit any natural recovery of local stocks.

The primary purpose of this work was to develop control laws for three axis stabilization of a magnetic actuated satellite. This was achieved by a combination of linear and nonlinear system theory. In order to reach this goal new theoretical results were produced in both fields. The focus...... was that interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and a magnetic field generated by a set of coils in the satellite can be used for actuation. Magnetic torquing was found attractive for generation of control torques on small satellites, since magnetic control systems are relatively lightweight, require low power...... was stated as a continuous function of the state. A control law for magnetic actuated satellite was proposed. Complete comprehension of the nature of the satellite control problem required a new approach merging the nonlinear control theory with physics of the rigid body motion and an extension of earlier...

The small satellites of Neptune and other planets discovered during the Voyager 2 mission are discussed in terms of their composition and relationship to the planetary systems. The satellite Proteus is described in terms of its orbit, five other satellites are described, and they are compared to ther small satellites and systems. Neptune's satellites are hypothesized to be related to the ring system, and the satellite Galatea is related to the confinement of the rings.

Thermal dependence of clearance rate (CR: l h(-1)), standard (SMR: J h(-1)) and routine metabolic rates (RMR: J h(-1)), were analyzed in fast (F)- and slow (S)-growing juveniles of the clam Ruditapes philippinarum. Physiological rates were measured at the maintenance temperature (17 °C), and compared with measurements performed at 10 and 24 °C after 16 h and 14 days to analyze acute and acclimated responses, respectively. Metabolic rates (both RMR and SMR) differed significantly between F and S seeds, irrespective of temperature. Mass-specific CRs were not different for F and S seeds but were significantly higher in F clams for rates standardized according to allometric size-scaling rules. Acute thermal dependency of CR was equal for F and S clams: mean Q 10 were ≈3 and 2 in temperature ranges of 10-17 and 17-24 °C, respectively. CR did not change after 2 weeks of acclimation to temperatures. Acute thermal effects on SMR were similar in both groups (Q 10 ≈ 1 and 1.6 in temperature ranges of 10-17 and 17-24 °C, respectively). Large differences between groups were found in the acute thermal dependence of RMR: Q 10 in F clams (≈1.2 and 1.9 at temperature ranges of 10-17 and 17-24 °C, respectively) were similar to those found for SMR (Q 10 = 1.0 and 1.7). In contrast, RMR of S clams exhibited maximum thermal dependence (Q 10 = 3.1) at 10-17 °C and become depressed at higher temperatures (Q 10 = 0.9 at 17-24 °C). A recovery of RMR in S clams was recorded upon acclimation to 24 °C. Contrasting metabolic patterns between fast and slow growers are interpreted as a consequence of differential thermal sensitivity of the fraction of metabolism associated to food processing and assimilation.

In periglacial landscapes, snow dynamics and microtopography have profound implications of freeze-thaw conditions and thermal regime of the ground. We mapped periglacial landforms at Kapp Linné, central Svalbard, where we chose six widespread landforms (solifluction sheet, nivation hollow, palsa and peat in beach ridge depressions, raised marine beach ridge, and exposed bedrock ridge) as study sites. At these six landforms, we studied ground thermal conditions, freeze-thaw cycles, and snow dynamics using a combination of in situ monitoring and C-band radar satellite data in the period 2005-2012. Based on these physical parameters, the six studied landforms can be classified into raised, dry landforms with minor ground ice content and a thin, discontinuous snow cover and into wet landforms with high ice content located in the topographical depressions in-between with medium to thick snow cover. This results in a differential snow-melting period inferred from the C-band radar satellite data, causing the interseasonal and interlandform variability in the onset of ground surface thawing once the ground becomes snow free. Therefore, variability also exists in the period of thawed ground surface conditions. However, the length of the season with thawed ground surface conditions does not determine the mean annual ground surface temperature, it only correlates well with the active layer depths. From the C-band radar satellite data series, measured relative backscatter trends hint toward a decrease in snow cover through time and a more frequent presence of ice layers from mid-winter rain on snow events at Kapp Linné, Svalbard.

Specimens of China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel were irradiated in the fifth experiment of SINQ target irradiation program (STIP-V) up to 20.8 dpa/1564 appm He. Microhardness measurements and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations have been performed to investigate irradiation induced hardening effects. The results of CLAM steel specimens show similar trend in microhardness and microstructure changes with irradiation dose, compared to F82H/Optimax-A steels irradiated in STIP-I/II. Defects and helium bubbles were observed in all specimens, even at a very low dose of 5.4 dpa. For defects and bubbles, the mean size and number density increased with increasing irradiation dose to 13 dpa, and then the mean size increased and number density decreased with the increasing irradiation dose to 20.8 dpa.

The purpose of this paper was to use quantitative systems-level approach employing biotic ligand model based threshold damage model to examine physiological responses of tilapia and freshwater clam to sequential pulsed and fluctuating arsenic concentrations. We tested present model and triggering mechanisms by carrying out a series of modeling experiments where we used periodic pulses and sine-wave as featured exposures. Our results indicate that changes in the dominant frequencies and pulse timing can shift the safe rate distributions for tilapia, but not for that of freshwater clam. We found that tilapia increase bioenergetic costs to maintain the acclimation during pulsed and sine-wave exposures. Our ability to predict the consequences of physiological variation under time-varying exposure patterns has also implications for optimizing species growing, cultivation strategies, and risk assessment in realistic situations. - Systems-level modeling the pulsed and fluctuating arsenic exposures.

The razor clam Sinonovacula constricta is an important commercial species. The deficiency of developmental transcriptomic data is becoming the bottleneck of further researches on the mechanisms underlying settlement and metamorphosis in early development. In this study, de novo transcriptome sequencing was performed for S. constricta at different early developmental stages by using Illumina HiSeq 2000 paired-end (PE) sequencing technology. A total of 112,209,077 PE clean reads were generated. De novo assembly generated 249,795 contigs with an average length of 585 bp. Gene annotation resulted in the identification of 22,870 unigene hits against the NCBI database. Eight unique sequences related to metamorphosis were identified and analyzed using real-time PCR. The razor clam reference transcriptome would provide useful information on early developmental and metamorphosis mechanisms and could be used in the genetic breeding of shellfish.

Full Text Available Recently, there has been a renewal of interest in the study of the effects of solar weather events on the ionization redistribution and irregularity generation. The observed changes at low and equatorial latitudes are rather complex and are noted to be a function of location, the time of the storm onset and its intensity, and various other characteristics of the geomagnetic storms triggered by solar weather events. At these latitudes, the effects of geomagnetic storms are basically due to (a direct penetration of the magnetospheric electric fields to low latitudes, (b development of disturbance dynamo, (c changes in atmospheric neutral winds at ionospheric level and (d changes in neutral composition triggered by the storm time atmospheric heating.

In the present study an attempt is made to further understand some of the observed storm time effects in terms of storm time changes in zonal electric fields and meridional neutral winds. For this purpose, observations made by the Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA payload on board the Indian satellite SROSS-C2 are examined for four prominent geomagnetic storm events that occurred during the high solar activity period of 1997-2000. Available simultaneous observations, from the GPS satellite network, are also used. The daytime passes of SROSS-C2 have been selected to examine the redistribution of ionization in the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA region. In general, EIA is observed to be weakened 12-24 h after the main phase onset (MPO of the storm. The storm time behaviour inferred by SROSS-C2 and the GPS satellite network during the geomagnetic storm of 13 November 1998, for which simultaneous observations are available, is found to be consistent. Storm time changes in the delay of received GPS signals are noted to be ~1-3 m, which is a significant component of the total delay observed on a quiet day.

The satellite range scheduling (SRS) problem, an important operations research problem in the aerospace industry consisting of allocating tasks among satellites and Earth-bound objects, is examined in this book. SRS principles and solutions are applicable to many areas, including: Satellite communications, where tasks are communication intervals between sets of satellites and ground stations Earth observation, where tasks are observations of spots on the Earth by satellites Sensor scheduling, where tasks are observations of satellites by sensors on the Earth. This self-contained monograph begins with a structured compendium of the problem and moves on to explain the optimal approach to the solution, which includes aspects from graph theory, set theory, game theory and belief networks. This book is accessible to students, professionals and researchers in a variety of fields, including: operations research, optimization, scheduling theory, dynamic programming and game theory. Taking account of the distributed, ...

for locomotion (Green 1975). Although The fertilized egg takes about usually attached to the substrate by 12 h to develop into the planktonic the byssus...observed clumped distribution of when fried, steamed in broth, or baked juvenile clams is therefore, according in fire pits under seaweed (Hanks to Lucy...bivalves, settlement of recently metamorphosed planktonic larvae is the only signi- sources of mortality (predation, ficant source of recruitment. Size

Full Text Available The suspension-feeding Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is a native species of the western Pacific that is now widely distributed around the globe because of its commercial importance. To determine the adaptive physiological responses to changing thermal and nutritional conditions, clearance, filtration, feces production, ammonium excretion, respiration rates, and scope for growth (SFG were measured in adult clams. The clams were exposed to 24 treatments involving the combination of four water temperatures (8, 13, 18, and 23°C and six concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM: 9.5 to 350.5 mg L(-1. Physiological rates were standardized by using the mean (480 mg of tissue dry weights of experimental clams using allometric equations between physiological variables and tissue dry weight. Higher clearance rates were recorded at higher temperatures and lower SPM concentrations, and these rates decreased with increasing SPM concentration at individual temperatures. Consumed energy increased with increasing temperature and SPM concentration, peaking at around 100-200 mg L(-1 at 18-23°C. Whereas fecal energy was largely determined by SPM concentration, ammonia excretion was mainly governed by temperature. Respiration rate studies revealed a predominant quadratic effect of temperature on the metabolism, indicating a lack of acclimatory adjustment of metabolic rate to rising temperature. SFG values were positive under almost all the treatment conditions and were much higher at higher SPM concentrations (> 45 mg L(-1, with the highest level being recorded at 18°C and 100-200 mg L(-1 SPM. Increased filtration rate offset the increased metabolic cost at warm temperatures. Our holistic findings suggest that a high degree of physiological plasticity allows R. philippinarum to tolerate the wide range of temperatures and SPM concentrations that are found in tidal flats, accounting in part for the successful distribution of this species over a

The suspension-feeding Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is a native species of the western Pacific that is now widely distributed around the globe because of its commercial importance. To determine the adaptive physiological responses to changing thermal and nutritional conditions, clearance, filtration, feces production, ammonium excretion, respiration rates, and scope for growth (SFG) were measured in adult clams. The clams were exposed to 24 treatments involving the combination of four water temperatures (8, 13, 18, and 23°C) and six concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM: 9.5 to 350.5 mg L(-1)). Physiological rates were standardized by using the mean (480 mg) of tissue dry weights of experimental clams using allometric equations between physiological variables and tissue dry weight. Higher clearance rates were recorded at higher temperatures and lower SPM concentrations, and these rates decreased with increasing SPM concentration at individual temperatures. Consumed energy increased with increasing temperature and SPM concentration, peaking at around 100-200 mg L(-1) at 18-23°C. Whereas fecal energy was largely determined by SPM concentration, ammonia excretion was mainly governed by temperature. Respiration rate studies revealed a predominant quadratic effect of temperature on the metabolism, indicating a lack of acclimatory adjustment of metabolic rate to rising temperature. SFG values were positive under almost all the treatment conditions and were much higher at higher SPM concentrations (> 45 mg L(-1)), with the highest level being recorded at 18°C and 100-200 mg L(-1) SPM. Increased filtration rate offset the increased metabolic cost at warm temperatures. Our holistic findings suggest that a high degree of physiological plasticity allows R. philippinarum to tolerate the wide range of temperatures and SPM concentrations that are found in tidal flats, accounting in part for the successful distribution of this species over a wide variety

Full Text Available The short-necked clam, Paphia undulata, occurs in coastal muddy bottoms of Hinigaran, Binalbagan, and Himamaylan, Negros Occidental where it has an important contribution to fisheries. However, stocks in these areas are dwindling and in order to formulate sound management strategies, information on the reproductive biology of this species is a prerequisite. Also, knowledge on the reproduction of this species is a prelude to its laboratory breeding and rearing. Reproductive biology of the short-necked clam from the three areas was studied over an annual cycle. Short-necked clams were collected monthly from catches of compressor divers. Five gonad stages were described based on histological examinations: developing, mature, partially spawned, redeveloping, and spent. Immature or indeterminate gonads were also noted. Although occasional presence of hermaphrodite gonads was observed this species is still functionally dioecious with 1.00M: 1.02F sex ratio. Sexual maturity is attained at 42.6 mm for males and 44.8 mm for females. Short-necked clams have continuous breeding season. However, peak of spawning activities is on the months of August to November which coincide with the monsoon transition months probably due to the decrease in salinity and nutrient influx during these months. Organisms smaller than 45mm must not be collected and collection must be regulated during peaks of spawning activities to leave a portion of reproductively mature individuals to ensure sustainability of fisheries. However, in terms of laboratory breeding and rearing of this species, it is fundamental to consider the spawning peaks and size at sexual maturity to ensure successful spawning in the laboratory. Hence, broodstock to be used in the experiments must be sexually mature (>45mm and collected during peaks of spawning activities.

The relationship between gonadal development and the concentrations of four heavy metals Mn, Zn, Fe and Hg in the tissues of the clam Galatea paradoxa was evaluated at the Volta estuary, Ghana, over an 18-month period. Metal concentrations in the clam tissues were highly variable over the sampling period and seemed to be influenced by the reproductive cycle of the clam. Mn concentrations varied over a wide range from 49 to 867 μg/g and exhibited a significant positive correlation with gonadal development (p = 0.0146, r(2) = 0.3190). Zn and Fe concentrations ranged from 13 to 59 μg/g and 79 to 484 μg/g, respectively and both revealed negative relationships between gonad development and metal accumulation (Zn (p = 0.0554, r(2) = 0.0554) and Fe (p = 0.1040, r(2) = 0.1567)). Hg concentrations ranged from 0.026 to 0.059 μg/g over the sampling period and exhibited a slight positive relationship between gonadal development and metal accumulation (p = 0.0861, r(2) = 0.1730).

Cadmium (Cd) has become an important heavy metal contaminant in the sediment and seawater along the Bohai Sea and been of great ecological risk due to its toxic effects to marine organisms. In this work, the toxicological effects caused by environmentally relevant concentrations (10 and 40 {mu}g L{sup -1}) of Cd were studied in the gill tissues of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum after exposure for 24, 48, and 96 h. Both low (10 {mu}g L{sup -1}) and high (40 {mu}g L{sup -1}) doses of Cd caused the disturbances in energy metabolism and osmotic regulation and neurotoxicity based on the metabolic biomarkers such as succinate, alanine, branched chain amino acids, betaine, hypotaurine, and glutamate in clam gills after 24 h of exposure. However, the recovery of toxicological effects of Cd after exposure for 96 h was obviously observed in clam to Cd exposures. Overall, these results indicated that NMR-based metabolomics was applicable to elucidate the toxicological effects of heavy metal contaminants in the marine bioindicator. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The brackish water clam Corbicula japonica inhabits rivers and brackish waters throughout Japan where the major fishing grounds in the Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, are located at the Hinuma Lake and Hinuma River. Water salinity in the Lake Hinuma is low and stable due to the long distance from the Pacific Ocean, whereas that in the downstream of the river varies daily due to a strong effect of tidal waters. In the present study, we dissected the gill and foot muscle of brackish water clam collected from these areas, and subjected them to metabolome analysis by capillary electrophoresis-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. More than 200 metabolites including free amino acids, peptides and organic acids were identified, and their amounts from the foot muscle tend to be higher than those from the gill. The principal component analysis revealed that the amount of each metabolite was different among sampling areas and between the gill and foot muscle, whereas no apparent differences were observed between male and female specimens. When the metabolites in the female clam at high salinity were compared with those at low salinity, concentrations of β-alanine, choline, γ-aminobutyric acid, ornithine and glycine betaine were found to be changed in association with salinity. We also compared various metabolites in relation to metabolic pathways, suggesting that many enzymes were involved in their changes depending on salinity.

Full Text Available The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effects of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenylether (PBDE-47 on the Chamelea gallina clam (according to current commercial regulations: Venus gallina. PBDEs, which are used as flame retardants in various industrial products, are classed as hazardous substances by Directive 2011/65/EU. They are bioaccumulative compounds, considered to be endocrine disruptors, genotoxic, neurotoxic and practically ubiquitous, and their concentration in the environment has considerably increased in recent years. The aim of this study is to establish the effects of PBDE-47 on Chamelea gallina: toxic power and any harmful effects on the gonads, bioaccumulation capacity in the tissues, and possible entry into the food chain. The research used 96-hour and 21-day experimental tests on clams housed in filtered seawater. The tests were preceded by a period of acclimatisation of the molluscs lasting five to seven days. The clams were fed on seaweed (Dunaliella tertiolecta. The choice of the toxic compound PBDE-47 was based on the high concentration, among the congeners of PBDE, found in some aquatic species. The study demonstrated that the concentration of the contaminant used did not alter the vital functions, cause significant levels of mortality or lead to evident alteration in the gonads of Chamelea gallina. However, the research demonstrated the bioaccumulation capacity of the bivalve mollusc, allowing PBDE-47 to enter the food chain.

Good understanding of blistering and embrittlement mechanism depends on good investigation of surface and internal microstructure damage of gas-ion-irradiated materials. Internal and surface microstructure of He{sup +} ion irradiated CLAM steel were examined by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy combining focused ion beam. Variation of helium bubble density and size distribution versus depth in CLAM steel after high dose helium irradiation at room temperature was investigated. The average size of helium bubble increased within 100–400 nm but decreased near the non-irradiated matrix with the increase of depth, while the density followed a reverse trend. The formation and growth mechanism of helium bubble is different at different irradiation depth. The formation of a zone of large bubbles under the surface is the main reason of surface blistering and flaking. Helium induced irradiation swelling and surface blistering at low temperature were also discussed. - Highlights: • Microstructure of helium irradiated CLAM steel was investigated by FIB and TEM. • The nucleation of helium bubble was controlled by both different mechanisms. • The substructure of surface blisters has been analyzed in detail by XTEM. • Helium induced surface blistering and irradiation swelling have been discussed.

A foraging group of Clangula hyemalis (Long-tailed Duck) was observed on 10 February 2010 diving behind a commercial boat that was clamming near Monomoy Island, Nantucket Sound, MA. We used a shotgun to collect 9 of the ducks, and our analyses of gizzard and gullet (esophagus and proventriculus) revealed 37 food items in the gizzard and 16 in the gullet. Mollusca were the dominant food in the gizzard (49%), whereas Crustacea were dominant in the gullet (57%). Crustacea were the second most important food in the gizzard (38%), whereas Mollusca were the second most important food in the gullet (31%). Relatively high volumes of the Amphipoda Caprella sp. (skeleton shrimp) and the Decopoda Crangon septemspinosa (Sand Shrimp) were recorded in the gullet and gizzard. Ensis directus (Atlantic Jackknife Clam) formed the greatest volume of Mollusca in the gizzard (15%) and in the gullet (15%). Long-tailed Ducks had fed on this Bivalvia and several other species of Mollusca that had no shell or broken shell when consumed. Many of the food organisms were apparently dislodged and some damaged by the clamming operation creating an opportunistic feeding strategy for the Long-tailed Ducks.

The Ramsar site Pialassa Baiona is an intertidal brackish lagoon lying 5 km north of the city of Ravenna and covering a surface area of about 1100 ha. From 1958 to 1976 Pialassa Baiona was heavily impacted by industrial pollution; mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polymers were among the most important pollutants which nowadays contaminate the sedimentary compartment. Following earlier investigations on total mercury (THg) distribution and bioavailability, this study is focused on mercury speciation in sediments and clams. Methylmercury ( MMHg) concentrations were determined in surface sediments (0-5 cm) in different seasons, and compared to THg. Selected sediments were subjected to a sequential extraction procedure to study solid state THg distribution. Operationally, three fractions of inorganic mercury were defined: mobile mercury ( Hgm), humic acid complexed mercury ( Hgha), and sulphide-bound mercury ( Hgs). THg and MMHg concentrations in sediments ranged in the 0.2-250 μg g -1 and 0.13-45 ng g -1 d.w. intervals, respectively. MMHg/THg ratios were higher in summer as well as in sites where the THg burden was lower; the highest MMHg/THg values were observed in Chiaro del Pontazzo, an area subjected to a drastic reduction of salinity. THg and MMHg concentrations were also determined in tissues of clams ( Tapes philippinarum) collected in the lagoon. MMHg in clams felt in the 180-470 ng g -1 interval and accounts for 72-95% of tissue THg.

We consider the possibility of the detection of a chameleon effect by an earth orbiting satellite such as LAGEOS, and possible constraints that might be placed on chameleon model parameters. Approximate constraints presented here result from using a simple monopole approximation for the gravitational field of the earth, along with results from the Khoury-Weltman chameleon model, solar system constraints obtained from the Cassini mission, and parameter bounds obtained from the LAGEOS satellite. It is furthermore suggested that a comparison of ground-based and space-based multipole moments of the geopotential could reveal a possible chameleon effect.

In 2002 NASA launched the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission. GRACE consists of two satellites with a separation of about 200 km. By accurately measuring the separation between the twin satellites, the differences in the gravity field can be determined. Monthly observ...

This overview of changes in the field of telecommunications development produced by satellite communications over the last 15 years focuses on applications of satellite systems for educational and health purposes in developing countries. Satellite communications development from 1974 to 1986 is identified as the first stage of telecommunications…

In 1997 the first Danish satellite will be launched. The primarily scientific objective of the satellite is to map the magnetic field of the Earth. The attitude of the satellite is determined by an advanced stellar compass (star tracker). An advanced stellar compass consists of a CCD camera conne...

Trends in Communications Satellites offers a comprehensive look at trends and advances in satellite communications, including experimental ones such as NASA satellites and those jointly developed by France and Germany. The economic aspects of communications satellites are also examined. This book consists of 16 chapters and begins with a discussion on the fundamentals of electrical communications and their application to space communications, including spacecraft, earth stations, and orbit and wavelength utilization. The next section demonstrates how successful commercial satellite communicati

To characterize the target organs of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum for use in environmental study, the accumulation of trace metals and three biomarkers was measured in different organs. Exposure with Cu and Pb carried out under laboratory conditions revealed a linear uptake of metals throughout the experimental period in each tissue. In particular, significant increase was observed in gills and mantle. The increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species showed the great potential of gills as a target tissue for both Cu and Pb exposure. The highest activity of glutathione S-transferase and their relative increase in activity were also observed in gills. Metallothionein-like protein levels, however, increased greatly in the digestive gland and mantle during Cu and Pb exposure, respectively, although all tissues, except the foot, showed significant changes after 24 h of metal exposure. In the field study, the highest concentration of metals was recorded in the gills and mantle, accounting for over 50 % of the total accumulated metal in all sites. Additionally, Cu and Pb increased significantly in these two organs, respectively. However, the order of accumulation rate in laboratory exposure was not concomitant with those of the lab-based study, suggesting that different routes of metal uptake and exposure duration induce distinct partitioning of metals and regulating system in R. philippinarum. These series of exposure studies demonstrated that gills, mantle, and digestive gland in R. philippinarum are potential target tissues in environmental monitoring study using metal concentrations and biomarkers.

A risk assessment of Tributyltin (TBT) in Tokyo Bay was conducted using the Margin of Exposure (MOE) method at the species level using the Japanese short-neck clam, Ruditapes philippinarum. The assessment endpoint was defined to protect R. philippinarum in Tokyo Bay from TBT (growth effects). A No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) for this species with respect to growth reduction induced by TBT was estimated from experimental results published in the scientific literature. Sources of TBT in this study were assumed to be commercial vessels in harbors and navigation routes. Concentrations of TBT in Tokyo Bay were estimated using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, an ecosystem model and a chemical fate model. MOEs for this species were estimated for the years 1990, 2000, and 2007. Estimated MOEs for R. philippinarum for 1990, 2000, and 2007 were approximately 1-3, 10, and 100, respectively, indicating a declining temporal trend in the probability of adverse growth effects. A simplified software package called RAMTB was developed by incorporating the chemical fate model and the databases of seasonal flow fields and distributions of organic substances (phytoplankton and detritus) in Tokyo Bay, simulated by the hydrodynamic and ecological model, respectively.

This paper reported the uses of ark clam shell calcium precursor in order to form hydroxyapatite (HA) via the wet chemical precipitation method. The main objective of this research is to acquire better understanding regarding the effect of sintering temperature in the fabrication of HA. Throughout experiment, the ratio of Ca:P were constantly controlled, between 1.67 and 2.00. The formation of HA at these ratio was confirmed by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. In addition, the effect of sintering temperature on the formation of HA was observed using X-ray diffraction analysis, while the structural and morphology was determined by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy. The formation of HA nanoparticle was recorded (~35-69 nm) in the form of as-synthesize HA powder. The bonding compound appeared in the formation of HA was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy such as biomaterials that are expected to find potential applications in orthopedic and biomedical industries .

Laboratory exposure of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum to weak electromagnetic fields results in a lengthened mitotic cycle and depressed oxygen consumption. This research program has been designed to ascertain if the same physiological effects are obtained when Physarum polycephalum is exposed to electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of the Wisconsin Test Facility at Clam Lake, Wisconsin.

The possibility of precise orbit tracking and determination of different types of satellites has been explored for at least some 25 years (Arimoto et al., 1990). Proposals in this sense made use mainly of astrometric observations, but multiple tracking techniques combining transfer and laser ranging was also suggested (Guo et al., 2009; Montojo et al., 2011), with different requirements and performances ranging from $\\sim100$~m to tenths of meters.In this work we explore the possible improvements and a novel implementation of a technique relying on large angle, high precision astrometry from ground for the determination of satellite orbits. The concept is based on combined observation of geostationary satellites and other near-Earth space objects from two or more telescopes, applying the triangulation principle over widely separated regions of the sky. An accuracy of a few $10^{-2}$~m can be attained with 1-meter-class telescopes and a field of vied of some arcminutes.We discuss the feasibility of the technique, some of the implementation aspects, and the limitations imposed by atmospheric turbulence. The potential benefits for satellite orbit control and navigation systems are presented, depending on the number and position of the contributing telescopes.We also discuss the possibility that, by reversing the roles of stars and satellites, the same kind of observations can be used for verification and maintenance of astrometric catalogs.

Wastewater originating from industrial effluents contains many types of pollutants including dyes. Anionic and cationic dyes are very toxic and they can cause several problems to aquatic system. In present study, razor clam shell was used as a potential adsorbent to remove two classes of dyes, namely anionic (Congo red, CR) and cationic (Rhodamine B, RB) dyes from aqueous solution. Batch adsorption experiments were performed to study the effects of three experimental parameters, namely solution pH, adsorbent dosage and initial dye concentration, on adsorption capacity of CR and RB onto razor clam shell. Results indicated that pH 2.0 was optimum pH for adsorbent to adsorb both CR and RB. At an initial concentration of 20 mg/L, the removal percentages of CR and RB were 97% and 38%, respectively. The Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models were used to describe adsorption behaviour of CR and RB, as well as the relationship between adsorbent and adsorbate. The adsorption equilibrium data were well fitted to Freundlich isotherm model. The separation factor (RL) constants suggest that both CR and RB were favourably adsorbed by razor clam shell. Razor clam shell was characterised by using two techniques, namely Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR). Overall, this study suggests that razor clam shell has great potential to be an alternative to expensive adsorbents.

Full Text Available We investigated the accumulation and adverse effects of toxic and non-toxic Microcystis in the edible clam Corbicula leana. Treated clams were exposed to toxic Microcystis at 100 μg of MC (microcystin-LReq L−1 for 10 days. The experimental organism was then placed in toxin-free water and fed on non-toxic Microcystis for the following 10 days for depuration. Filtering rates (FRs by C. leana of toxic and non-toxic Microcystis and of the green alga Chlorella vulgaris as a control were estimated. Adverse effects were evaluated though the activity of catalase (CAT, superoxide dismutase (SOD and glutathione S-transferase (GST. Clam accumulated MCs (up to 12.7 ± 2.5 μg g−1 dry weight (DW of free MC and 4.2 ± 0.6 μg g−1 DW of covalently bound MC. Our results suggest that although both toxic and non-toxic cyanobacteria caused adverse effects by inducing the detoxification and antioxidant defense system, the clam was quite resistant to cyanotoxins. The estimated MC concentration in C. leana was far beyond the World Health Organization's (WHO provisional tolerable daily intake (0.04 μg kg−1 day−1, suggesting that consuming clams harvested during cyanobacterial blooms carries a high health risk.

Full Text Available The Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio tapetis is known as the causative agent of Brown Ring Disease (BRD in the Manila clam Venerupis (=Ruditapes philippinarum. This bivalve is the second most important species produced in aquaculture and has a high commercial value. In spite of the development of several molecular methods, no survey has been yet achieved to rapidly quantify the bacterium in the clam. In this study, we developed a Taqman real-time PCR assay targeting virB4 gene for accurate and quantitative identification of V. tapetis strains pathogenic to clams. Sensitivity and reproducibility of the method were assessed using either filtered sea water or extrapallial fluids of clam injected with the CECT4600T V. tapetis strain. Quantification curves of V. tapetis strain seeded in filtered seawater (FSW or extrapallial fluids (EF samples were equivalent showing reliable qPCR efficacies. With this protocol, we were able to specifically detect V. tapetis strains down to 1.125 101 bacteria per mL of EF or FSW, taking into account the dilution factor used for appropriate template DNA preparation. This qPCR assay allowed us to monitor V. tapetis load both experimentally or naturally infected Manila clams. This technique will be particularly useful for monitoring the kinetics of massive infections by V. tapetis and for designing appropriate control measures for aquaculture purposes.

Strontium (Sr) concentration in the shells of short-necked clams collected at different locations (Shirahama, warm area and Maizuru, cold area, Japan) was analyzed by two methods, PIXE and EPMA. The Sr concentration of external surface of shell umbo, which was made during short term at early benthic phase, was analyzed by PIXE, and was ranged from 1000 to 3500 ppm for individuals. The Sr concentration of clams collected at Shirahama showed positive correlation with shell length (SL) in individuals with SL < 31 mm, whereas clams collected at Maizuru did not show significant correlation. This result may be caused from the difference of the spawning seasons between two areas. The Sr concentration of cross section of shell umbo, which develops thicker continuously during their life to form faint stratum structure, was analyzed by EPMA along the line across the stratum structure. Some surges and long term waving patterns of the Sr concentration were observed. These results suggest that the life histories of individual clams could be recorded in the shell umbo cross sections as variations of trace elements and analyses of trace elements could clarify the histories of individual clams. (author)

Xichang Satellite Launch Center(XSLC) is mainly for geosynchronous orbit launches. The main purpose of XSLC is to launch spacecraft, such as broadcasting,communications and meteorological satellites, into geo-stationary orbit.Most of the commercial satellite launches of Long March vehicles have been from Xichang Satellite Launch Center. With 20 years' development,XSLC can launch 5 kinds of launch vehicles and send satellites into geostationary orbit and polar orbit. In the future, moon exploration satellites will also be launched from XSLC.

Water management that alters riverine ecosystem processes has strongly influenced deltas and the people who depend on them, but a full accounting of the trade-offs is still emerging. Using palaeoecological data, we document a surprising biogeochemical consequence of water management in the Colorado River basin. Complete allocation and consumptive use of the river's flow has altered the downstream estuarine ecosystem, including the abundance and composition of the mollusc community, an important component in estuarine carbon cycling. In particular, population declines in the endemic Colorado delta clam, Mulinia coloradoensis, from 50-125 individuals m-2 in the pre-dam era to three individuals m-2 today, have likely resulted in a reduction, on the order of 5900-15 000 t C yr-1 (4.1-10.6 mol C m-2 yr-1), in the net carbon emissions associated with molluscs. Although this reduction is large within the estuarine system, it is small in comparison with annual global carbon emissions. Nonetheless, this finding highlights the need for further research into the effects of dams, diversions and reservoirs on the biogeochemistry of deltas and estuaries worldwide, underscoring a present need for integrated water and carbon planning.

Mya truncata, a soft shell clam, is presented as a new model to study biomineralization through a proteomics approach. In this study, the shell and mantle tissue were analysed in order to retrieve knowledge about the secretion of shell matrix proteins (SMPs). Out of 67 and 127 shell and mantle proteins respectively, 16 were found in both shell and mantle. Bioinformatic analysis of SMP sequences for domain prediction revealed the presence of several new domains such as fucolectin tachylectin-4 pentraxin-1 (FTP), scavenger receptor, alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2 M), lipocalin and myosin tail along with previously reported SMP domains such as chitinase, carbonic anhydrase, tyrosinase, sushi, and chitin binding. Interestingly, these newly predicted domains are attributed with molecular functions other than biomineralization. These findings suggest that shells may not only act as protective armour from predatory action, but could also actively be related to other functions such as immunity. In this context, the roles of SMPs in biomineralization need to be looked in a new perspective.

Ammonia nitrogen has been a potential menace to aquatic animals along the coastline of China. Presently, the toxicological effects of ammonia nitrogen were mainly concentrated on fishes, while little attention has been paid to molluscs. In this study, the clam Ruditapes philippinarum was used as the target animal to investigate the toxic effects of ammonia nitrogen. Our results showed that ammonia exposure could significantly reduce the integrity of lysosomes in a dose-dependent manner. Metabolite analysis revealed that exposure doses and duration time of ammonia nitrogen could affect the variation profiles of gill metabolites. In detail, branched chain amino acids, glutamate, choline and phosphocholine were significantly decreased after a one-day exposure. Inosine and phenylalanine were found significantly increased and ATP was decreased after a three-day exposure. The changes of metabolites implied that metabolisms of muscle element, neurotransmission and cell apoptosis of gill tissues would be affected by ammonia exposure. Such inferences were supported by the diminished muscle element, decreased concentrations of catecholamines and increased apoptosis rates, respectively. Therefore, we take advantage of metabolomics integrated with conventional biological assays to find out that ammonia exposure could cause lysosome instability, metabolic disturbance, aberrant gill structures and changes to neurotransmitters, and would result in mollusk gill dysfunction in feeding, respiration and immunity.

Full Text Available Quantitative monthly samplings, in 2004, were carried out to estimate the density and biomass of Ensis macha (Molina 1782, from Morro Quemado area, Bay Independence, Pisco. The present study analyzes biometric relationships, growth parameters and somatic production using the ELEFAN I routine and the Crisp’s method. During the year 2004 the rate of exploitation (E= 0.69 y-1 was significantly bigger than the values of 2003 and the monthly landings (maximum of 335 t and fishing effort (maximum of 848 trips were twice increased. These changes induced in the same year a significant decrease of population mean density (D= 54.13 ind. m-2 and the halfway reduction of somatic production (P= 81.99 gAFDW m-2 y-1 and P/B rate (0.38 y-1 values, regarding the values of the previous year. Also, a significant increment of total mortality rate (2.84 y-1 and the fishing mortality rate (1.97 y-1 were twice increased, regarding the previous year. It is assumed that the population of razor clams already was a overfishing commercial resource in the 2003 and that the increment of fishing pressure in the 2004, particularly during the second semester, intensified its overfishing resource condition.

The present study assessed the metal genotoxicity potential at chromosome-level in the bivalve Ruditapes philippinarum collected along different areas of the Tagus estuary. Higher levels of aneuploidy on gill cells were detected at the most sediment contaminated area both in May (31.7%) and October (36.0%) when compared to a less contaminated area over the same periods (20.3% and 29.0% respectively). Interestingly, metal bioaccumulation in gills was higher in the specimens collected at the least contaminated area with the exception of Pb. Indeed, the multivariate analysis revealed a stronger relation between aneuploidy and sediment contamination than between aneuploidy and the bioaccumulation of the metals. The temporal and spatial inconsistency found for the bioaccumulation of metals in R. philippinarum and the positive correlation between sediment contamination and aneuploidy at the most contaminated area suggest that these chromosome-level effects might be due to chronic metal contamination occurring in the Tagus estuary, rather than a direct result of the temporal variation of bioavailable contaminants. The vertical transmission phenomenon of bivalve aneuploidy levels may then be perpetuating those levels on clams from the most contaminated area. The present results shed light about the effect of metal toxicity at the chromosome-level in species inhabiting chronic contaminated areas and highlight the use of aneuploidy as an effective tool to identify persistent contamination in worldwide transitional waters.

Biomarkers are often regarded as “early warning” signals of environmental pollution; however seasonal changes are mentioned as one of the most important factor that influences the activity of biomarkers. The aim of our study was to assess the importance of seasonal variation of selected contaminant biomarkers in Macoma balthica to provide background information for further environmental surveys in the Gulf of Riga. Seasonal variation of biomarkers (acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)) was measured in infaunal clam M. balthica from the southern part of the Gulf of Riga. The majority of biomarkers (GST, CAT and GR) showed strong seasonal variability; however only CAT and GR were found to be significantly related to environmental factors (near-bottom oxygen, salinity and temperature). Integrated biomarker response (IBR) index indicated that the most stressed condition of M. balthica is during August and May. The highest values of IBR were found near the mouth of the River Daugava, suggesting the impact of environmental pollution on the benthic animals.

Reconstructing historical biogeography of the marine realm is complicated by indistinct barriers and, over deeper time scales, a dynamic landscape shaped by plate tectonics. Here we present the most extensive examination of model-based historical biogeography among marine invertebrates to date. We conducted the largest phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses to date for the bivalve family Cardiidae (cockles and giant clams) with three unlinked loci for 110 species representing 37 of the 50 genera. Ancestral ranges were reconstructed using the dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis (DEC) method with a time-stratified paleogeographic model wherein dispersal rates varied with shifting tectonics. Results were compared to previous classifications and the extensive paleontological record. Six of the eight prior subfamily groupings were found to be para- or polyphyletic. Cardiidae originated and subsequently diversified in the tropical Indo-Pacific starting in the Late Triassic. Eastern Atlantic species were mainly derived from the tropical Indo-Mediterranean region via the Tethys Sea. In contrast, the western Atlantic fauna was derived from Indo-Pacific clades. Our phylogenetic results demonstrated greater concordance with geography than did previous phylogenies based on morphology. Time-stratifying the DEC reconstruction improved the fit and was highly consistent with paleo-ocean currents and paleogeography. Lastly, combining molecular phylogenetics with a rich and well-documented fossil record allowed us to test the accuracy and precision of biogeographic range reconstructions.

Full Text Available Ensis macha is a razor clam distributed throughout the coasts of southern Argentina and Chile. Even though it represents a valuable fishery resource, the exploitation of its Atlantic populations has begun only in recent years. This study provides the first estimates of growth rate, an interpretation of the reproductive cycle on the coast of the northern Argentine Patagonia and an analysis of the species morphometry. Growth was estimated by direct observation of growth rings on the valves by two observers. The reproductive cycle was interpreted by the analysis of temporal change of oocyte size frequency distributions. Parameter estimations for the von Bertalanffy equations respectively obtained by observers 1 and 2 were 154 and 153.7 mm for L?, 0.25 and 0.20 yr-1 for k, and -0.08 and -0.72 yr for t0. Two spawning peaks were detected: September-November 1999 and May-June 2000. However, mature females were found all year round. An abrupt change in the relationship between shell length and height was detected at 11.2 mm length.

Full Text Available Vesicomyid clams harbor intracellular sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that are predominantly maternally inherited and co-speciate with their hosts. Genome recombination and the occurrence of non-parental strains were recently demonstrated in symbionts. However, mechanisms favoring such events remain to be identified. In this study, we investigated symbionts in two phylogenetically distant vesicomyid species, Christineconcha regab and Laubiericoncha chuni, which sometimes co-occur at a cold-seep site in the Gulf of Guinea. We showed that each of the two species harbored a single dominant bacterial symbiont strain. However, for both vesicomyid species, the symbiont from the other species was occasionally detected in the gills using fluorescence in situ hybridization and gene sequences analyses based on six symbiont marker genes. Symbiont strains co-occurred within a single host only at sites where both host species were found; whereas one single symbiont strain was detected in C. regab specimens from a site where no L. chuni individuals had been observed. These results suggest that physical proximity favored the acquisition of non-parental symbiont strains in Vesicomyidae. Over evolutionary time, this could potentially lead to genetic exchanges among symbiont species and eventually symbiont displacement. Symbiont densities estimated using 3D fluorescence in situ hybridization varied among host species and sites, suggesting flexibility in the association despite the fact that a similar type of metabolism is expected in all symbionts.

Based on stable isotope analysis,we characterized the dietary regime of the Manila clam Ruditapesphilippinarum inhabiting intertidal areas along the Liaodong Peninsula,Northern China.Samples,including particulate organic matter (POM; n=30),benthic microalgae (BMI; n=30) and R.philippinarum (n=60),were collected from six sampling sites displaying the same ecological conditions.Of the two primary food sources,POM was more depleted in δ13C (-20.61‰ to-22.89‰) than BMI was (-13.90‰ to-16.66‰).With respect to 15N,BMI was more enriched (2.90‰ to 4.07‰) than POM was (4.13‰ to 5.12‰).The δ13C values of R.philippinarum ranged from-18.78‰ to-19.35‰ and the δ15N values from 7.96‰ to 8.63‰,which were intermediate between the POM and BMI values.In a two-source isotope mixing model,we estimated the relative contributions of POM and BMI to the diet of R.philippinarum to be 74.2％ and 25.8％,respectively.We conclude that R.philippinarum feeds mainly on POM,and BMI is also an important supplemental food source in intertidal areas.

Hemoglobins are a group of respiratory proteins principally functioning in transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide in red blood cells of all vertebrates and some invertebrates. The blood clam T. granosa is one of the few invertebrates that have hemoglobin-containing red hemocytes. In the present research, the peroxidase activity of T. granosa hemoglobins (Tg-Hbs) was characterized and the associated mechanism of action was deciphered via structural comparison with other known peroxidases. We detected that purified Tg-Hbs catalyzed the oxidation of phenolic compounds in the presence of exogenous H2O2. Tg-Hbs peroxidase activity reached the maximum at pH 5 and 35°C and was inhibited by Fe(2+), Cu(2+), SDS, urea, and sodium azide. Tg-Hbs shared few similarities in amino acid sequence and overall structural characteristics with known peroxidases. However, the predicted structure at their heme pocket was highly similar to that of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). This research represented the first systemic characterization of hemoglobin as a peroxidase.

A novel Gram-negative, motile, and ovoid-shaped strain, LHWP3(T), which belonged to the family Planctomycetaceae in the phylum Planctomycetes, was isolated from a dead ark clam Scapharca broughtonii collected during a mass mortality event on the south coast of Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate was most closely related to the type strain of Rhodopirellula baltica, with a shared 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 94.8%. The isolate grew optimally at 30°C in 4-6% (w/v) NaCl, and at pH 7. The major isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone-6 (MK-6). The dominant polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and unidentified polar lipids. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C16:0, C18:1 ω9c, and C18:0. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain LHWP3(T) was 53.0 mol%. Based on polyphasic taxonomic analyses, strain LHWP3(T) should be classified as a novel species in the genus Rhodopirellula in the family Planctomycetaceae, for which the name Rhodopirellula rosea sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LHWP3(T) (=KACC 15560(T) =JCM 17759(T)).

Hemoglobins are a group of respiratory proteins principally functioning in transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide in red blood cells of all vertebrates and some invertebrates. The blood clam T. granosa is one of the few invertebrates that have hemoglobin-containing red hemocytes. In the present research, the peroxidase activity of T. granosa hemoglobins (Tg-Hbs) was characterized and the associated mechanism of action was deciphered via structural comparison with other known peroxidases. We detected that purified Tg-Hbs catalyzed the oxidation of phenolic compounds in the presence of exogenous H2O2. Tg-Hbs peroxidase activity reached the maximum at pH 5 and 35°C and was inhibited by Fe2+, Cu2+, SDS, urea, and sodium azide. Tg-Hbs shared few similarities in amino acid sequence and overall structural characteristics with known peroxidases. However, the predicted structure at their heme pocket was highly similar to that of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). This research represented the first systemic characterization of hemoglobin as a peroxidase. PMID:28182094

A hot-dip aluminizing process is expected to produce aluminide coatings on structural materials to resist tritium permeation, corrosion, and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects in the fusion reactor blanket. China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel, which is the candidate structural material for the LiPb blanket system in China, was coated with pure aluminum and with an Al–Si alloy. Factors affecting the thickness and morphology of the aluminide coatings were studied. After the hot-dipping treatment, FeAl{sub 3} and Fe{sub 2}Al{sub 5} were observed at the Al/steel interface. The existence of silicon in the molten aluminum suppressed the growth of Fe{sub 2}Al{sub 5}, built up the thickness of FeAl{sub 3} slightly, and contributed to reducing the thickness of the intermetallic layer. The brittle phase of Fe{sub 2}Al{sub 5} had completely transformed to ductile phases of FeAl{sub 2}, FeAl and α-Fe(Al) after high temperature heat-treatment in air. Kirkendall voids were found in the diffusion layer, due to the rapid interdiffusion of iron and aluminum during oxidation. Cracks and pores were observed on the coating surface and at the interlayer. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction indicates the presence of α-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} in the oxide layer.

The space segment of the European satellite navigation system Galileo currently consists of six satellites. Four of them belong to the first generation of In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites whereas the other two are Full Operational Capability (FOC) satellites. High-precision geodetic applications require detailed knowledge about the actual phase center of the satellite and receiver antenna. The deviation of this actual phase center from a well-defined reference point is described by phase center offsets (PCOs) and phase center variations (PCVs). Unfortunately, no public information is available about the Galileo satellite antenna PCOs and PCVs, neither for the IOV, nor the FOC satellites. Therefore, conventional values for the IOV satellite antenna PCOs have been adopted for the Multi-GNSS experiment (MGEX) of the International GNSS Service (IGS). The effect of the PCVs is currently neglected and no PCOs for the FOC satellites are available yet. To overcome this deficiency in GNSS observation modeling, satellite antenna PCOs and PCVs are estimated for the Galileo IOV satellites based on global GNSS tracking data of the MGEX network and additional stations of the legacy IGS network. Two completely independent solutions are computed with the Bernese and Napeos software packages. The PCO and PCV values of the individual satellites are analyzed and the availability of two different solutions allows for an accuracy assessment. The FOC satellites are built by a different manufacturer and are also equipped with another type of antenna panel compared to the IOV satellites. Signal transmission of the first FOC satellite has started in December 2014 and activation of the second satellite is expected for early 2015. Based on the available observations PCO estimates and, optionally PCVs of the FOC satellites will be presented as well. Finally, the impact of the new antenna model on the precision and accuracy of the Galileo orbit determination is analyzed.

AMPR is an airborne instrument that flew aboard the NASA ER-2 during the OLYMPEX/RADEX field campaign in late 2015. This poster's goal is to explore how well the instrument can retrieve near-surface wind speed over the ocean.

Discusses the application of satellite information delivery to training. Describes a new trend, horizontal programming. Also discusses vertical programming and in-house production of training materials. Lists vendors of satellite-based training. (CH)

@@ By the end of 2006, China had launched 24 recoverable satellites (FSW) in total. Among them, 23 were launched successfully, of which all but one were successfully recovered. Recoverable satellites launched by China are listed in Table 1.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Satellite tagging was implemented in 2013. Satellite tagging is conducted using a Dan Inject air rifle and deployment arrows designed by Wildlife Computers. Two...

Currently, a first generation of dedicated satellite missions for the precise mapping of the Earth’s gravity field is in orbit (CHAMP, GRACE, and soon GOCE). The gravity data from these satellite missions provide us with very new information on the dynamics of planet Earth. In particular, on the mass distribution in the Earth’s interior, the entire water cycle (ocean circulation, ice mass balance, continental water masses, and atmosphere), and on changes in the mass distribution. The results are fascinating, but still rough with respect to spatial and temporal resolution. Technical progress in satellite-to-satellite tracking and in gravity gradiometry will allow more detailed results in the future. In this special issue, Earth scientists develop visions of future applications based on follow-on high-precision satellite gravimetry missions.

The initial system studies are described which were performed at JPL on secure voice for mobile satellite applications. Some options are examined for adapting existing Secure Telephone Unit III (STU-III) secure telephone equipment for use over a digital mobile satellite link, as well as for the evolution of a dedicated secure voice mobile earth terminal (MET). The work has included some lab and field testing of prototype equipment. The work is part of an ongoing study at JPL for the National Communications System (NCS) on the use of mobile satellites for emergency communications. The purpose of the overall task is to identify and enable the technologies which will allow the NCS to use mobile satellite services for its National Security Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) communications needs. Various other government agencies will also contribute to a mobile satellite user base, and for some of these, secure communications will be an essential feature.

The initial system studies are described which were performed at JPL on secure voice for mobile satellite applications. Some options are examined for adapting existing Secure Telephone Unit III (STU-III) secure telephone equipment for use over a digital mobile satellite link, as well as for the evolution of a dedicated secure voice mobile earth terminal (MET). The work has included some lab and field testing of prototype equipment. The work is part of an ongoing study at JPL for the National Communications System (NCS) on the use of mobile satellites for emergency communications. The purpose of the overall task is to identify and enable the technologies which will allow the NCS to use mobile satellite services for its National Security Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) communications needs. Various other government agencies will also contribute to a mobile satellite user base, and for some of these, secure communications will be an essential feature.

Predicting volcanic activity requires continuous monitoring for signals of magmatic unrest in harsh, often remote environments. BENTO is a next-generation monitoring system, currently in prototype testing, that is highly portable, low-cost, rapidly deployable, and entirely autonomous. Such a system could be us